Flood scheme for Stoke town centre gets green light
Work to reduce flood risk that will allow regeneration in Stoke town centre has the green light after the Environment Agency and Stoke-on-Trent Council secured funds.
This scheme on the Fowlea Brook will see a narrow section of culvert that runs beneath Elenora Street, replaced with one of much greater capacity.
When completed, it will improve protection from flooding to 180 properties, including the historic Spode site. The scheme is also being designed to better protect from the future impacts of climate change.
The scheme is expected to cost £4.2m, made up of £2.1m from Environment Agency Flood Defence Grant in Aid funding, £1.2m from the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership, put in place through partnership working between the Environment Agency and Stoke-on-Trent City Council, and £635k from the Trent Regional Flood and Coastal Committee. The rest is coming from other key partners and landowners.
With most of the Environment Agency’s staff currently working from home during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, consultants and contractors are now finalising the plans remotely from home. It is hoped to start building work in the autumn, aiming to be complete spring 2021.
With the flood risk in Stoke town centre reduced, it allows the planned regeneration work, including a commercial development and student accommodation, to go ahead.
Adam Lines, Staffordshire Area Environment Manager for the Environment Agency said:
We’re really pleased that this partnership scheme can now go ahead, reduce the flood risk and open the way for up to £40m in regeneration works for Stoke.
With respect to our flood risk management capital programme, 90% of the projects are continuing although with some productivity impacts, around 10% are stopped. We are continuing to assess this dynamic situation and ensuring our priority works, including those affecting recently flooded communities, can continue.
In regard to our maintenance activities, we are continuing to maintain and operate all our strategically important assets across the country. We are also increasing our maintenance work where resources and safety can be assured.
Cllr Daniel Jellyman, cabinet member for regeneration, infrastructure and heritage at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said:
We have all seen pictures from across the country in recent years of the sheer devastation flooding can cause. Thankfully on the whole we haven’t been as badly affected here as other areas, but that doesn’t mean we should not be preparing for 1-in-a-100 year, or 1-in-a-1,000 year floods. This scheme will improve capacity on the Fowlea Brook and remove the problem for future development.
Register for the Environment Agency’s flood warning service online or contact Floodline on tel: 0345 988 1188. If you are already registered, do check that your details are correct.
Note to editors
Funding for the scheme has been provided by: Trent Regional Flood and Coastal Committee, Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership, Flood Defence Grant in Aid, Stoke on Trent City Council and Eaglerock (in kind).