Vital river bank repair work is complete
The Environment Agency has completed work ahead of schedule to repair a heavily eroded river bank in Haydon Bridge, Northumberland.
The completed repair work at Haydon Bridge
The bank on the River South Tyne, downstream of the road bridge, is not a formal flood defence but if further erosion occurred it would impact a riverside footpath and gardens, as well as existing flood defences further downstream.
The project, carried out by Esh Construction, involved strengthening the river bank below the riverside footpath and then re-planting with trees to further stabilise it – a low carbon alternative to using traditional materials such as concrete and sheet piling.
These alternative materials, such as rip rap (stone rock armour) and vertical rock rolls, perform a similar task but provide a more natural or ‘soft’ solution as opposed to the traditional materials which could have pushed the erosion issue further downstream.
The public footpath along the riverside, to the rear of Rocksprings Crescent and towards the car park at Martins Close, has now reopened and benefits from new fencing. The surface of Martins Close car park has been improved using recycled materials used for access into the river during the improvement work.
Completed ahead of schedule
Tom Pitman, project manager at the Environment Agency, said:
We’re delighted that the repair work along this section of river bank on the River South Tyne has been completed ahead of schedule.
Improving the condition of the eroded bank was important to prevent potential damage to existing flood defences downstream and maintain the standard of protection for the residents of Haydon Bridge.
Earlier this year, Haydon Bridge Parish Council visited the site and met with Environment Agency project manager Tom Pitman to find out more about the repairs and how they will protect the village’s flood defences.
Throughout the work, the Environment Agency took precautions to minimise disruption to the local environment. Fish were safely removed from the affected area prior to the work taking place and fish passage was maintained at all times.
The Environment Agency also plans to raise the existing flood wall and replace the flood bank to better protect properties at Brigwood.
Flood resilience measures, such as signing up to the free Flood Warning Service and creating a personal flood plan can reduce the impact of flooding on residents and businesses.