Jarrow set for £1.6 million flood defence work

Northumbrian Water is set to embark upon £1.6 million worth of flood prevention work later this month, shieldsgazette.com reports.
The seven-month scheme is aimed at providing extra protection for homes in Jarrow that are currently at risk of flooding. It is hoped the work will prevent a repeat of the flooding which hit in 2012.
Work at Jarrow will include laying 400m of sewer pipes and installing a storm water tank near Jarrow Cross Primary School. A clay lined basin spanning some 685m will also be built near the school which will be able to catch rainfall during extreme storms and prevent it from becoming problematic, newsrt.com notes. Then, once the rainfall stops, water trapped in the reservoir can simply be drained into the sewer network.
Plans also include laying one kilometre of piping to create some 15 surface water gullies in Albert Road, Borough Road, Croft Terrace, Hurworth Place, Kent Street, Wuppertal Court and York Street.
This operation is in addition to the larger schemes currently being undertaken at Hebburn and South Shields to offer additional flood protection after the recent stormy winters.
Commenting on the Jarrow project, Northumbrian Water's Chris Bond explained: "Reducing the risk of flooding in an efficient and sustainable way, to ensure we are prepared for the future, is one of our top priorities.
"This scheme is testament to the importance of, and our commitment to, working in partnership with our other agencies, including local authorities, to achieve this. Constructing the surface water basin demonstrates a creative and innovative approach to preventing surface water entering our sewer network, which is a crucial element in our efforts to tackling flooding."