Kenton flood defence measures
New defence measures are being planned to protect Newcastle homes and a school from flood waters that run “like a river”.
A flood alleviation scheme worth almost £450,000 is in the works to help put an end to long-standing problems on the Kenton Bar estate that have caused substantial damage.
Newcastle City Council says that 54 homes in the area have been marked as being at risk of flooding as well as Kenton Bar Primary School, which was left under water in 2012 and still suffers “frequent, significant, disruption” when heavy rain hits.
In a letter posted to locals last week, the council said that residents have reported severe flooding on several occasions “resulting in serious damage to their homes and negative effects on their health and mental wellbeing”.
Flood water is known to flow off higher ground near Kenton Lane and from the Kenton School football fields towards houses in the lower-lying areas of Ryal Walk and Hartburn Walk.
Val Schollar, treasurer of the Kenton Bar Tenants and Residents Association, said: “This funding is a bit of good news, especially for the people living in the bungalows.
“We have had this problem for a lot of years, the water runs off the fields and onto the footpaths and into people’s homes.
“People have been trapped, they sometimes have to take their shoes off before going into their flats.
“The water comes right down here because the estate is off a bank and it runs like a river down the roads.”
The measures being proposed after the council won £435,000 from the Environment Agency and the Department for Education include building low walls and increasing drainage on certain roads, creating basins in grassy areas to temporarily hold excess water, and building new soil embankments.
Labour councillor Stephen Lambert added: ”Myself and fellow ward councillors, Ged Bell and Anya Durrant, strongly welcome this scheme to tackle wider flooding and ponding problems on Kenton Bar estate. The £450,000 flood alleviation scheme will better protect homes and Kenton Bar Primary School from surface water flooding. Sustainable drainage features will be put in.
”Consultation has begun with local residents, Kenton Bar TARA and the two nearby schools. We want to make residents aware of the land and ecological surveys and ground investigations that will be going on in the next few weeks.”