Flood scheme safeguards Winchester
Work is under way on a new scheme to protect one of the most vulnerable areas of Winchester from flooding.
The project provides flood alleviation measures for the northern part of the town with works currently being constructed around St Bede’s School, near River Park Leisure Centre. It targets an area that was badly hit in the winter floods of 2013-4.
This scheme follows a successful funding bid to Government. It is being delivered and funded in a partnership between Winchester City Council, Hampshire County Council, the Environment Agency and Southampton University.
The current works, costing around £700,000, are the second phase of construction in Winchester and follow the completion of the ‘dwarf’ flood-wall in Water Lane last year.
The measures consist of a mixture of earth bunds and low-level walls which have been carefully designed to blend into the landscape whilst being modelled by the EA to assess their effectiveness.
The works are being carried out by Mildren Construction. It is hoped they will be completed within the next few months, depending on the weather. Work will be carefully managed and co-ordinated with the Fireworks event in November.
Cllr Frank Pearson, Winchester City Council’s Portfolio Holder for Environment, Health and Wellbeing, said:
This area of the city suffered serious flooding in the storms nearly three years ago.
The City Council and its partners have worked tirelessly over the past couple of years to plan and secure funding for major schemes such as this one, which will offer significant protection to vulnerable areas should similar conditions occur again.