21/07/2008

Residents of Darlington are invited to find out more about a multi-million pound flood scheme.

Northumbrian Water is to invest £3 million to reduce the risk of flooding to fourteen homes in Pierremont Crescent.

People can drop-in at a customer information session on Thursday, July 31 2008 at the Arts Centre, Vane Terrace, Darlington between 1.00pm and 8.00pm.

Experts will be on hand to explain the details of the work, which is to begin on Monday, August 11 2008 and take up to eleven months to complete, and answer any questions.

In times of heavy rainfall the quantity of rainwater entering the sewerage network has resulted in flooding to the properties on Pierremont Crescent.  To prevent this from happening, 650 metres of sewer pipe will be upgraded, and increased in size.  A new combined sewer overflow will also be built in Brinkburn Dene Park.

Combined sewer overflows are designed, and consented by the Environment Agency, to discharge wastewater into watercourses in times of very heavy rainfall to protect properties and surrounding land from flooding.  The work to build a screened, combined sewer overflow will also improve the water quality of Cocker Beck and the River Skerne.

Graham Watson, Northumbrian Water’s project manager, said:  “Customers will soon receive detailed information about this work and an invitation to our customer drop-in session – I encourage people to come along to find out more.

“During the course of the work it will be necessary for us to have temporary traffic management in place, initially on Woodlands Road and then on Pierremont Crescent and Milbank Road.  We will do all we can, through careful planning with Darlington Borough Council, to keep any disruption to a minimum.”

Work to divert a gas main on Woodlands Road will being on Monday, August 11 2008 and take up to 16 weeks to complete.  The flood alleviation work will begin on Monday, October 6 2008 on Pierremont Crescent – this section of the work will be complete by the end of January 2009.

Northumbrian Water will avoid working during the two-week Christmas and New Year period. 

The last phase of work, which will start at the beginning of February 2009 and take up to four months to complete, will be carried out along Woodlands Road.  

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For further information contact Cara Hall on 0191 301 6720.