Northumbrian Water, North Tyneside Council and the Environment Agency are set to start work in partnership this month on a £6 million scheme to reduce flood risk in North Tyneside.

Work in the Killingworth and Longbenton areas will begin on Monday July 25 and take up to nine months to complete. The scheme will reduce the amount of surface water that enters the sewer network - in times of heavy rainfall, the water will instead be stored in the natural environment.

Water from Killingworth Lake and Longbenton Letch, which currently flows into Northumbrian Water’s sewer network, is to be diverted. This will reduce the risk of flooding as sewer pipes will be able to transport higher volumes of wastewater and surface water in times of heavy rainfall.

The route of Longbenton Letch will be diverted from the sewer network into a new 700 metre underground surface water pipe which will mainly run through open land and will transfer flows to Forest Hall Letch.

Wetland areas will be created along sections of Forest Hall Letch, to provide somewhere for water to go when flows in the watercourse are high.

To prevent Killingworth Lake from overflowing into Northumbrian Water’s sewer network, its surface water area will be increased and water will be transferred by another new underground 340 metre surface water pipe into West Moor Tributary.

Northumbrian Water’s project manager, Lynn Preston, said the first phase of work will involve constructing the new surface water pipe to link Longbenton Letch to Forest Hall Letch.

A new surface water storage basin will be constructed in the playing field of Longbenton Community College. This will store water in times of heavy rainfall and provide an additional facility as an outdoor amphitheatre when it is dry. The college’s sporting facilities will also be improved by the creation of five drained football pitches and an outdoor running track.

Lynn Preston continued:

“This is one of many schemes that demonstrates that partnership working is vital to tackle flooding in a holistic and cost effective way. Sustainable schemes like this one also have the added benefits for local communities and the environment. Pleasant spaces will be created for people to enjoy and these areas will also become a haven for wildlife.”

Richard Robinson, Flood Risk Advisor for the Environment Agency in the North East, said:

“This is a great example of how organisations can work together to develop sustainable solutions to reduce flood risk. By using natural features we aim to enhance the environment and offer amenity features while also reducing pressure on the drainage systems and reducing the risk of flooding to many properties.”