The Environment Agency has started work on a £13 million flood scheme in Skinningrove, replacing Stone Row Bridge and ending the need for manual flood gates.

 Environment Agency image: 'before and after' visualisation of the new bridge

The Environment Agency, in partnership with Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, has started construction on a major flood alleviation scheme in Skinningrove, with works due for completion in 2028.

The £13 million scheme will deliver a long-term solution to flooding from Skinningrove Beck, protecting more than 100 homes and helping residents who have long faced disruption from the village’s existing flood defences.

Currently, the Environment Agency operates manually controlled flood gates and demountable parapets at Stone Row Bridge when high water levels are forecast.

Because the beck can rise rapidly and with little warning, the defences must sometimes be operated at very short notice and can remain closed for extended periods - cutting off vehicle access for residents of Zetland Row and Grove Hill.

The new scheme will remove that uncertainty entirely. Stone Row Bridge, along with its flood gates and parapets, will be demolished and replaced by a new bridge built between New Company Row and Zetland Row, adjacent to the Riverside Building, the village’s former school.

The deck of the new bridge will sit above the height of the existing flood walls, meaning no flood gates will be required. Residents will have uninterrupted 24-hour vehicle access to their homes, regardless of conditions in the beck.

Long term solution making a real difference

Planning permission was granted by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council in February 2026.

Andrew Turner, Flood Risk Operations Manager, from the Environment Agency, said:

“Once complete, this scheme will deliver a genuine step-change in flood protection for the community of Skinningrove.

“The new bridge will eliminate the need for manual operation of the flood gates altogether, removing the disruption and uncertainty that comes with the current arrangements.

“It will also sit higher above the watercourse than the existing bridge, which means debris carried down the beck during heavy rainfall is far less likely to cause a blockage - one of the factors that can make flooding in the village worse.

“This is a long-term solution that will make a real difference to people’s lives.”

The construction programme, which is being carried out by BAM, will take place in two phases:

Work on the new bridge is scheduled to run from September 2026 to late 2027, with piled foundations and abutments installed on both sides of the beck before a crane lifts the new structure into place near the Riverside Building. A temporary access road will be provided for Grove Hill residents during the construction period.

Demolition of Stone Row Bridge and infilling of the existing flood walls will follow between December 2027 and early 2028.

Construction is being carried out by BAM