Filling in flood protection Gap
PROJECT TO LIMIT SURFACE WATER MEANS HUNDREDS OF HOMES ARE AT REDUCED RISK
A MAJOR scheme to protect hundreds of homes in North Tyneside from flooding has been completed.
The £2m project is part of a larger £4.5m programme of works which began after ‘Thunder Thursday’ – a storm in 2012 which battered the North East with a month’s worth of rain in a matter of hours.
North Tyneside Council’s Murton Gap project is among 40 flood alleviation schemes which have since been delivered in the area – reducing the risk of flooding for more than 1,200 properties.
Delivered by the council’s partner Capita, the major flood alleviation project at Murton Gap focused on managing the uncontrolled flow of surface water from the fields around Shiremoor, Monkseaton and Wellfield.
The first stage involved the creation of three large dry storage basins, together with improved drainage ditches, on fields to the south of the Metro line and the west of Fairfield Green.
The basins are connected to a new culvert, which had to be laid under the Metro lines.
In the second stage, the capacity of a naturally occurring flood plain was increased to around 7,000 cubic metres to provide better protection to Wellfield residents.
Finally, a 4,500 cubic metre dry basin was excavated in the field to the west of Briar Vale.
The basin was then connected to the existing drainage system beneath Rake Lane.
As a result, hundreds of homes in Monkseaton, Murton, Shiremoor and Wellfield are now better protected against internal and external flooding.
Coun Carole Burdis, the council’s cabinet member for community safety and engagement, said: “This is great news for hundreds of our residents.
“Thunder Thursday had a devastating effect on many parts of our borough and led to a big investment by the council to reduce the risk of future flooding.
“This particular project required negotiations and agreements with private landowners, which took time so I’d like to thank residents for their patience. I’m sure the news that these major works are now complete will be welcomed by many people.”