Flood defences underway in Cumbria

Construction and improvements are underway, strengthening flood defences in Glenridding and Appleby, Cumbria.

The Environment agency are making improvements to Glenridding flood defences, and the first phase of construction work is complete in Appleby, after storms brought severe flooding and damage to Cumbria and other parts of the UK.

Work has started on a new wall to protect residents from flooding in the village of Glenridding in Cumbria. The flood defence wall is 140 metres in length and a metre above ground, designed to protect residents and properties along the bank of the river.

A foundation for the wall, which is made of concrete and faced with local stone, has already been formed and excavated for the first 20 metre section of the wall, which will start 10 metres upstream of the A592 Road Bridge.

It is due to be completed by Autumn 2016.

In the town of Appleby, the Environment Agency has completed the first phase of construction work to improve flood defences near the swimming pool, by replacing the 20 year old, 23 demountable steel gates which ran across the swimming pool car park with a permanent flood defence wall that will improve defences for the town.

Work will begin at Holme Farm Bridge in mid-June, to repair the damaged river retaining wall at the end of Holme Street.

Adam Stephenson from the Environment Agency said: “This winter’s flooding has had a devastating effect on people in Cumbria and the Environment Agency is doing everything possible to reinstate protection to communities with a programme of repairs and structural inspections underway. The events highlighted the need for our communities to be more resilient and less reliant on non-localised resources.”

As well as carrying out emergency repairs, inspecting defences and starting the process of planning for improvements, the Environment Agency have been visiting communities, talking to those affected by the floods, and giving them the opportunity to have a say in the future of their community.

The Environment Agency and Cumbria County Council continue to investigate the flooding in Glenridding and Appleby, so they can establish how and why properties flooded, with the findings to be published by the County Council in a Section 19 Flood Investigation Report. The reports, once agreed, can be used by communities and agencies for applications for funding to allow schemes to be implemented.

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