Flood alleviation scheme officially launched in Newbury today (Fri)

The £2.5million scheme consists of a number of works to target areas around the River Kennet that are most at risk of flooding.
It included the raising of the towpath at Russell Road; a raised flood wall, installation of new low level walls, embankments and in-river works in Northcroft Lane; a new flood kerb in Victoria Park; a raised towpath and new embankment on London Road and a new earth embankment in Northcroft Park (pictured, top).

According to the Environment Agency, the scheme will improve protection from flooding from the River Kennet for around 400 residential and 70 commercial properties, as well as the A339, the A4, Faraday Road and much of the town centre.
The scheme has already found itself amid criticism due to a large amount of flood water in Northcroft Lane, which has seen the Salvation Army charity shop closed and has begun to flood properties nearby.
However, Environment Agency south east programme manager Dave McNight said that the new defences were effective, and that the flooding there was a build up of surface water and not flooding from the river.
He said: “Newbury has suffered severe flooding over the last 50 years or so.
“We are very pleased for the community that we have finally been able to deliver this scheme.
“It’s not going to protect people from surface water flooding...we have had well beyond the average rainfall that we expect in January already and therefore that rain that falls accumulates and that’s what you can see there.”
Newbury MP Richard Benyon, who marked the launch with the unveiling of a plaque, said: “We are in times where we have seen the worst rainfall since records began.
“It’s serious but we are not anywhere near the scale of 2007.
“We have got one of the best emergency operations running in a local authority.”
The Environment Agency is sending a taker to pump the surface water this afternoon.