Construction work on the main part of the £2.5 million Monkton Flood Alleviation Scheme to protect 100 homes in South Tyneside has started this week.

Contractor Balfour Beatty is carrying out flood protection work across Monkton and Hebburn with work expected to be complete by the end of the year. It will protect around 100 homes and businesses from surface water flooding.

The main construction work follows a project in March this year to open up a section of the Bede Burn running underground – known as ‘daylighting’ as part of the ‘Living Waterways’ scheme to restore the burn.

The scheme involves managing surface water where problems have been identified around the Monkton Burn and neighbouring areas.

Tom Pitman, Project Manager for the Environment Agency and South Tyneside Council, said the main engineering work will include improved drainage, swales to collect surface water run-off and an attenuation basin which is designed to collect water and slowly release it into the Bede Burn.

The Monkton Flood Alleviation Scheme is being delivered by South Tyneside Council and its partners at the Environment Agency and Tyne Rivers Trust.

The project is largely funded by the Environment Agency, as well as a contribution from the local levy – which is money raised by local authorities for flood projects.