Member Article

Institution’s Past President Visits Flood Alleviation Project

One of the Institution of Civil Engineers’ (ICE) leading lights has taken a tour of a major North East coastal protection scheme, to see how the region is dealing with the threat of floods.

Jean Venables, a Past President of the ICE, toured the Redcar Flood Alleviation Scheme, which aims to protect a 2.7km stretch of naturally eroding coastline by replacing the current, crumbling sea wall and provideRedcarwith a new enhanced promenade.

This is an important partnership scheme that is being delivered by the Environment Agency andRedcarand Cleveland Borough Council. Work on the two-year project started in February 2011 and it will protect over a 1000 homes and businesses from coastal flooding and erosion inRedcar. A total of 978 homes and 209 businesses are currently at risk of flooding from the sea. Without new defences a further 184 residential and 98 commercial properties would be likely to become at risk within the next 100 years.

In 2009, Mrs Venables visited the North East during her year in office. As part of her tour, she launched ICE North East’s regional briefing on flooding. Her visit toRedcarwas conducted by the Environment Agency, Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council and their contractor Birse Coastal.

Construction of the sea defences and the enhanced promenade are well under way. The sea defences are scheduled for completion in November 2012, and the Enhanced Promenade in February 2013.

Mrs Venables said: “This work is vital to the Redcar area and to the people who live in the homes which would potentially be affected by flooding.

“The threat of floods can be terrifying. When flood waters come, there is often very little which can be done to protect your home and you live with uncertainty and dread. On top of that, homes in danger of flooding are generally difficult or expensive to insure, so this work will benefit the local population on a number of levels.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Paul White .