Risk of flooding reduced in Emsworth after £300,000 scheme

THE chances of 54 homes and a railway line being submerged under floodwater have been significantly reduced thanks to a £300,000 scheme.
Gareth Bates, MP Alan Mak and Asad Abbas from the EAGareth Bates, MP Alan Mak and Asad Abbas from the EA
Gareth Bates, MP Alan Mak and Asad Abbas from the EA

It comes after years of campaigning by residents in Emsworth following several floods, including Christmas 2012 when several homes in Selangor Avenue were swamped.

Engineers from the Environment Agency have designed a simple but effective water storage system at Nore Farm, located north of the A27.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The first part of the scheme was to reduce the size of the culvert – a pipe – that runs under the A27.

Embankments have been built up along a stream to stop flooding on the nearby railway line.

It has been separated from a nearby watercourse and this has reduced the flood risk in Bridge Road.

Field operations team leader Gareth Bates said: “We are holding the water back here where it is just going to flood some farmland temporarily.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“The water sits here and gradually feeds it through, so you don’t get these tidal waves of water when it rains heavily.”

Havant MP Alan Mak said: “The flood alleviation scheme is good news for Emsworth, giving residents and businesses more protection. “I enjoyed seeing the flood defences first hand, and congratulate our local councillors, community groups and the Environment Agency for their hard work.”

Don’t miss out on all the latest breaking news where you live.

Here are four ways you can be sure you’ll be amongst the first to know what’s going on.

1) Make our website your homepage at www.chichester.co.uk/

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

2) Like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ChichesterObserver

3) Follow us on Twitter @Chiobserver

4) Register with us by clicking on ‘sign in’ (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here.

And do share with your family and friends - so they don’t miss out!

The Chichester Observer - always the first with your local news.

Be part of it.