Lyn Fraley - 17-Jan-2007 - The Environment Agency met the Attenborough Flood Alleviation Scheme focus group yesterday evening (Tuesday, 16 January 2007) to present its final proposals for the alignment of the planned flood defences at Attenborough, and give community representatives an opportunity to see the new designs.

We have reviewed our earlier proposals and after a great deal of consultation and research, we decided that, while a flood wall along 'The Strand' through the village remains the best option, there are changes we can make that will improve the scheme for local residents.

We have listened very carefully to what they and other organisations have been saying to us. As a result, we have changed the line of the proposed flood wall. It will now continue along The Strand, rather than going around the bowling green as originally proposed.

This will reduce the impact on the bowling green, as well as its impact on the SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest). There are some technical problems associated with this change, but we are confident that these can be overcome.

The new flood wall will be clad with materials that will complement the village’s conservation area status. It will also be enhanced with sympathetic planting, which will be covered by a five-year maintenance contract.

During our study, we gave serious consideration again to all the options available to us. This is the option that provides the best flood protection for Nottingham at a viable cost while still enabling us to meet our environmental obligations.

Project Manager, Malcolm Dineley, said: "We considered all our options again very thoroughly before finalising our proposals. We listened carefully to what residents told us and I hope the changes we have made will help to address their concerns.

"The option we have chosen is the most feasible both technically and financially, protecting Nottingham from the damage and distress caused by flooding, while doing as little damage as possible to the environment. At Attenborough, as elsewhere, we will build the defence as sensitively as possible, keeping disruption to a minimum."

We have written to all Attenborough residents who have previously contacted us about the scheme, describing our latest proposals, which mark the end of our consultation process on the flood defence plans for Attenborough.

The next step is for us to submit the designs to the local authority in March 2007 with an application for planning permission. The planning process provides additional opportunities for people to comment on the plans, should they so wish.

Notes to Editor

Artists impressions of the planned defence wall are available on request to Lyn Fraley on 0121 711 5829/5855.