The Environment Agency have announced that a multi-million pound scheme to reduce the risk of flooding to 350 homes and 32 businesses in Port Clarence, Teesside in North East England is now complete.
Port Clarence suffered severe flooding in December 2013, when a tidal surge combined with high spring tides affected around 50 homes and businesses.
The 1.5km long Port Clarence flood alleviation scheme is the result of a partnership between the Environment Agency an local business Wilton Engineering. Construction started on site in March 2015 and was completed in December.
Wilton has manufactured a removable section of defence, which protects their work site and the local community from flooding, but ensures they can still operate from the river.
Wilton Engineering Chief Executive Bill Scott said, “Flooding is a huge problem throughout many parts of the UK. I am sure the residents of Port Clarence will be able to sleep knowing that they are now protected against similar flooding events to that which occurred during the tidal surge back in December 2013.
“It is testament to the Environment Agency to proceed so quickly to install a large bespoke flood defence system to protect the local community, and businesses.
“Wilton Engineering was very keen to work in partnership with the Environment Agency from day one to ensure that the scheme could go ahead utilising collaboration to great effect. Indeed we will continue to work with the Environment Agency to ensure the flood defence scheme is maintained and therefore robust for many years”.
Concrete and Removable Steel
The sections of removable defence joins with a concrete flood wall which runs along the rest of the front of Wilton’s site.
In total the length of the new defences measures almost 1.5km. The defences include 132 precast concrete units weighing nearly six tonnes each, and 47 bespoke removable sections of steel defence, each six metres long and weighing 1.2 tonnes.
There are also new flood embankments to the east and west of Wilton, and a 35-metre section of the road on the approach to the Transporter Bridge has been raised by around half a metre.
The Environment Agency’s Operations Manager for the North East, Alan Cadas, said:
“This has been a really innovative collaboration between ourselves and Wilton Engineering – seeing us work together with industry to protect the local area.
“The removable defence means homes and businesses in Port Clarence are protected from flooding, but they also ensure Wilton can still operate its business from the river when required.
“The scheme has also seen a mixture of embankments, flood walls and ground raising along the River Tees to reduce the risk of flooding.
“I remember well the impact of the most recent floods on the local community and I hope the completion of this scheme provides reassurance for residents going into the future as well as protecting local industry”.
