Building of a new innovative flood wall to hold waters from the River South Tyne is making good progress in the building stages.
Work is progressing quickly with a new flood wall to protect a Northumberland village.
The £400,000 scheme at Haydon Bridge is the first Environment Agency project in England to use Redi-Rock blocks.
The one-tonne, interlocking blocks are moulded from solid concrete and have a weathered finish so they look like natural stone.
They fit together like children’s building bricks, helping to speed up the construction process and save money.
The new wall will replace an existing concrete flood wall, which was outflanked by rising water from the River South Tyne during the last serious floods in Haydon Bridge in 2005. At 380m long, the new wall is almost double the length of the existing structure and should protect up to 23 properties.
As well as reducing the flood risk to more properties, the new defences will offer a better standard of protection.
Environment Agency flood risk management team member David Huntington said: “I’m delighted with the way the scheme is progressing. The project is innovative in its application and there have been some interesting technical issues to overcome.”
Work began last December to clear trees and vegetation in readiness for construction to start and building work is set to be completed within approximately 12 weeks.
Durham-based Lumsden & Carroll Construction, framework contractor to the Environment Agency, is carrying out the work. David Pratt, Construction Director explained: “Whilst we install the new defences we’re maintaining the integrity of the existing floodwall - it’s a really important precaution for the householders of Haydon Bridge. Steve Boyd and his team are doing a tremendous job and enjoying meeting many of the residents. Some took up the opportunity of recycling the trees which we removed - we logged them up for them to use as firewood!
“We’re pleased to report that the project is running to schedule and that work is progressing well; the Redi-Rocks look good and are set to provide sound defences.”
The blocks have been in use in the United States for a decade but are a more recent innovation in the UK. The system has been used for engineering projects elsewhere in the UK but Haydon Bridge is the first time the Environment Agency has used Redi-Rock in England.
Brendan Hand is the CEO of Construct Corporation Limited, which licenses and manufactures Redi-Rock in England, Europe and the Middle East.
He said: “We would like to thank David Huntington and his team at the Environment Agency, Northumbria Regional Flood Defence Committee and the local residents for choosing Redi-Rock by Construct and giving us the opportunity to demonstrate the speed, cost-effectiveness and flexibility of this innovative solution.”
Half the cost of the project was met by the Northumbria Flood Defence Committee through its Local Levy programme.
Many Haydon Bridge residents are eligible for the Environment Agency’s free flood warnings service but fewer than half have signed up so far. Of the 277 properties eligible for Floodline Warnings Direct, 125 households are registered.
Floodline Warnings Direct sends an automatic message by landline, mobile telephone, email or fax to those who have signed up, telling them when flooding is imminent and what action to take to protect their home or business.
To find out if your property is at risk of flooding and eligible for Floodline Warnings Direct, call Floodline on 0845 988 1188 or visit the website at www.environment-agency.gov.uk
