Reducing flood risk in Appleby, Cumbria
The Environment Agency has completed the first phase of construction work to improve flood defences in the town of Appleby in Cumbria.
The Environment Agency has completed construction work to improve flood defences near the swimming pool in Appleby, and will soon start repairs at Holme Farm Bridge.
The Environment Agency has replaced the 23 demountable steel gates which previously ran across the swimming pool car park with a permanent flood defence wall. The gates, which were over 20 years old, were in need of replacement and the wall now provides a permanent solution that will improve the flood defences for the town.
Work to repair the damaged river retaining wall at the end of Holme Street in the town will commence as soon as the horse fair is over in mid-June.
Adam Stephenson from the Environment Agency said:
This winter’s flooding has had a devastating effect on people in Cumbria and the Environment Agency is doing everything possible to reinstate protection to communities with a programme of repairs and structural inspections underway. The events highlighted the need for our communities to be more resilient and less reliant on non-localised resources.
As well as carrying out emergency repairs, inspecting defences and starting the process of planning for improvements, we have also been visiting communities to hear from those people affected. We will very soon be tapping deeper into local knowledge and giving local people a chance to shape our plans for the future to ensure we have the best possible plans in place to reduce the risk of flooding.
Cumbria County Council and the Environment Agency continue to investigate the cause and extent of flooding in Appleby so they can establish precisely how and why properties and businesses flooded. The findings will be published on 27 June by the County Council in a Section 19 Flood Investigation Report, which will consider what can be done to prevent flooding, or reduce its impact, in the future. Once agreed the reports can be used by communities and agencies as the basis for applications for funding to allow schemes to be implemented. Further details can be found on the Cumbria County Council website.