Newcastle Launches £2m Flood Alleviation Scheme on Town Moor

Newcastle City Council has kicked off the Blue Green Newcastle project, a joint initiative with the Environment Agency, Northumbrian Water, and the Freemen of Newcastle, to enhance the city's resilience to severe storm events. The project aims to mitigate the impact of flooding, particularly after the £70m damage caused by the 'Thunder Thursday' storm in 2012. The scheme, which is 75% funded by the Environment Agency, includes a detention basin, bund, filter drain, and landscaping works.

Key Takeaways:

• The Blue Green Newcastle project is a £2m joint effort between Newcastle City Council, the Environment Agency, Northumbrian Water, and the Freemen of Newcastle.
• The primary aim is to reduce the risk of flooding in the city, particularly after the £70m damage caused by 'Thunder Thursday' in 2012.
• The scheme includes:

+ A detention basin to store surface water temporarily

+ A bund to increase storage capacity

+ A filter drain and flow control chamber to limit water discharge

+ Landscaping works in Exhibition Park

+ Minor highways works at Clayton Road

• The project is expected to be completed in "coming weeks" with contributions from the Freemen of Newcastle and the council.

Statistics:

• £70m: The estimated damage caused by the 'Thunder Thursday' storm in 2012
• 13 years: The anniversary of the 'Thunder Thursday' storm, which occurred in June 2012
• £2m: The funding allocated for the Blue Green Newcastle project
• 75%: The proportion of funding provided by the Environment Agency
• 10s of thousands: The number of trees and hedgerow plants planted over the last five years

Sources:

• "Construction work begins on flood alleviation scheme at towns moor" - News article without date
• Interview with Coun Juna Sathian, cabinet member for climate and transport at Newcastle City Council
• Interview with Nick Atkinson, Vice Chairman of the Freemen of Newcastle