25/05/2005 - Two flood
defence schemes get under way in the Avon
Valley this week to reduce the risk of flooding
in the Hampshire towns of Ringwood and Fordingbridge.
Contractors Van Oord will move on site to
start work on the two schemes that are funded
by Defra and being carried out by the Environment
Agency at a cost of £4 million.
Fordingbridge has a history of flooding,
the worst recently was in December 2000 when
more than 70 properties were damaged and the
town suffered severe traffic disruption. Worst
affected areas were Southampton Road, Bridge
Street. West Street, Church Street and Provost
Street. Some local businesses did not re-open
after the flooding.
There are a number of sources that cause
the flooding, the River Avon, the Ashford
Water, Sweatsford Water, Allen Brook, groundwater,
highway’s drainage and surcharging sewers.
The Fordingbridge scheme includes improvements
to existing defences on the River Avon, the
construction of a 3 kilometre bypass channel
for flows from the Ashford Water and improvements
to surface water, groundwater and foul sewerage
systems.
The new scheme was chosen because it minimises
the amount of hard defences needed by diverting
floodwater over a floodplain instead of trying
to contain it within Fordingbridge. It has
the added benefit of providing opportunities
to improve wildlife habitats within the Avon
Valley.
Meanwhile, at Ringwood contractors are preparing
to start work on a smaller flood defence scheme.
There have been five serious floods in Ringwood
since 1960, the worst was in December 2000
when 23 properties in the West Street and
Riverside area of the town flooded.
The scheme includes the construction of an
embankment upstream of West Street and a combination
of walls and banks behind an existing defence
at Riverside together with various drainage
improvements. The work will help protect approximately
30 properties that previously flooded when
the Bickerley Millstream over-topped its banks.
These schemes are part of the Environment
Agency’s flood defence capital programme agreed
with the Wessex Regional Flood Defence Committee
with funding provided by Defra through the
Agency. They are being constructed at the
same time to reduce costs and improve efficiency.
Last year a scheme was completed further
up the Avon Valley at Downton where 45 houses
flooded in 2000. Contractors will move on
site at Fordingbridge this week and commence
work on June 13. The project is expected to
take around nine months to complete.
"The Avon Valley is a fantastic environment
to live in, but there will always be a flood
risk to properties. It has been a challenge
to provide the right solutions to the complex
sources of flooding at these locations, but
the schemes at Downton, Fordingbridge and
Ringwood will see a welcome reduction in the
risk of flooding to 453 properties,"
said Nick Lyness for the Environment Agency.
Information on both schemes will be displayed
at the Contractor’s Site Office opposite Little
Pixies Farm, Southampton Road, Fordingbridge
where members of the public will have an opportunity
to talk to the contractors and Environment
Agency officers on certain pre-determined
days. There will also be information boards
at the site with details on both projects.
Note to Editor:
The River Avon and its floodplain lies within
a nature conservation area of international
importance. It is designated as a candidate
Special Area of Conservation (cSAC) under
the EU Habitats Directive and Site of Special
Scientific Interest (SSSI).
Environmental impact assessments have been
carried out for both Ringwood and Fordingbridge
flood defence schemes to maximise any habitat
improvement opportunities to benefit breeding/overwintering
birds, invertebrates and mammals.
The Environment Agency is installing an otter
walkway under the main A31 road as part of
the Ringwood scheme. The metal walkway, that
will fit inside an existing culvert, is designed
to reduce the risk of local otter road casualties
The schemes are part of a longstanding commitment
by the Wessex Regional Flood Defence Committee
and the Environment Agency to reduce the risk
of flooding in the valley.
