Press release: Flood barrier drop-ins for residents

Residents in two north east communities are urged to attend drop-in events to find out how temporary barriers will help protect them from flooding.

The Environment Agency has been working with partners at Gateshead Council and Northumberland County Council to develop flood barrier deployment plans for Dunston and North Blyth.

The two communities have been identified as locations where temporary barriers could reduce the risk of flooding to properties when high tides are expected.

In Dunston, the barriers will be used along Railway Street between Team Street and Staithes Road.

At North Blyth the barriers will be used along the bottom of Worsdell Street, Dale Street and Gray Street.

The Environment Agency is inviting local residents from Dunston and North Blyth to attend community drop-in events to find out more about how the temporary barriers will be used, and to provide residents with the opportunity to speak to staff. Plans will also be available to show where the barriers will be deployed if needed.

The drop-in events take place on:

• Wednesday 29 November, between 4pm and 7.30pm at North Blyth Bar and Social Club.
• Tuesday 5 December, between 4.30pm and 7.30pm at Dunston Community Centre, Collingwood Terrace, Gateshead, NE11 9EB.

The barriers have previously been used successfully at both Newcastle Quayside and elsewhere in Blyth during January’s tidal surge.

They are a series of one-metre high, lightweight metal barriers which are clipped together and then covered in tarpaulin, before being weighed down by metal chains and sandbags.

David Clark, from the Environment Agency’s Flood and Coastal Risk Management team in the north east, said:

We know the devastating impact flooding has on homes and businesses and are continually looking for ways to protect our communities.

We’ve already used the temporary barriers in real-time during this year’s tidal surge and we are well practised at their deployment to help reduce the impact of the flood.

We’ve been working hard to develop deployment plans for new locations which will benefit from a temporary barrier deployment and I’d encourage residents at both Dunston and North Blyth to come along and find out more about how it will work in their community.

While we can never completely eliminate the risk of flooding these temporary barriers are another weapon in our armoury.