18-May-2006 - The Environment
Agency’s plans for a £13.8 million flood
risk management scheme for West Bridgford will
be on show at the Lady Bay Open Gardens event
between 2pm and 6pm on Saturday 20 May and Sunday
21 May 2006.
The exhibition, in the Environment
Agency’s exhibition trailer, will be located in
the playground area of the Lady Bay Primary School
in West Bridgford.
The exhibition will explain
what is being done at West Bridgford to combat
flood risk. Although it is aimed primarily at
West Bridgford residents, people from other areas
of Nottingham are welcome to come along. Staff
will be available to answer basic questions about
the wider plans for Nottingham as well as providing
more detailed information about the West Bridgford
scheme.
During the West Bridgford scheme, we will be carrying
out improvements to the flood defences between
the disused railway embankment at Wilford and
Regatta Way, Adbolton, a distance of 4.5 kilometres.
This includes Wilford Embankment, Wilford Lane
Wall, Trentside South, Holme Road Wall, Holme
Road Embankment, and Adbolton.
We will raise existing walls
and embankments to reduce the risk of flooding
to just 1% in any year, halving the existing level
of risk.
Workmen have been preparing
the site since January and main works started
at Wilford Lane Wall and Holme Grove Wall in mid-April
2006. The site offices have been placed near County
Hall, in the Freemasons Lodge Car Park, and satellite
offices have been placed along the line of the
defence.
While we are building the scheme,
we will also take the opportunity to make improvements
to landscaping, local footpaths and to the Site
of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC) at
Wilford embankment to make the river frontage
at West Bridgford a safer and more attractive
place for people and wildlife.
Project Manager Nicholas Adjei
says: "Many areas of West Bridgford are currently
at risk from flooding. This vital work to improve
flood defences through West Bridgford will help
to protect over 5,600 homes and business. We also
want to do some work to encourage wildlife and
make West Bridgford a better place for local people
to live.
"We urge people to come
along to our display at the Open Gardens event
to see what we are planning to do. It is also
an ideal opportunity for them to discuss any queries
or concerns they may have."
More information:
Drawings showing how the finished
scheme is likely to look are available by e-mail
on request to Lyn Fraley (number above)
Background
In March 1947, thousands of
properties in West Bridgford suffered from flooding.
West Bridgford residents used the railway embankment
(now dismantled) as the only way to pass the flooded
areas.
After the floods, a comprehensive
scheme of raised defences was promoted to protect
West Bridgford. These defences prevented significant
flooding in November 2000. However, recent studies
have found that they are not built to modern standards.
There is still a 2% chance in any one year that
the defences will be overtopped by flood waters.
This, together with some concerns about the condition
and performance of some of the defences has prompted
us to carry out improvement work.
The Fluvial Trent Study, covering
200km of the River Trent, was the first stage
in the appraisal process. The findings of this
study were presented in the Fluvial Trent Strategy,
issued in April 2005. Of the 10 schemes recommended
for immediate consideration, 6 are in Nottingham.
They include the West Bridgford scheme currently
in progress.
