Press release: More than 600 homes added to flood warning service

Northallerton, which was hit with flooding in 2009 and 2012, now has four new Environment Agency flood warning areas, covering nearly 650 properties.

The new flood warning areas are for:

• Turker Beck: More than 300 properties on Turker Lane, South View, Mount Road, Crossbeck Road, Meadow Lane, Oak Grove, Turker Close and Forest Road
• Confluence of Sun Beck and Turker Beck: More than 100 properties on Alverton Lane, High Street (B1333), Friarage Street, East Road and The Friarage Hospital
• Sun Beck: More than 250 properties on Bankhead Road, Bankhead Close, Aslands Road, Ashlands Close, Ashlands Court, Valley Road, The Crescent and Brooklands Crescent
• Willow Beck at Low Gates: 11 properties along Willow Beck Road and Darlington Road

Kim Tan, Environment Agency flood resilience officer, said:

The Environment Agency is continuously updating its flood warnings. We use new data to get a more accurate picture to help at risk communities be better prepared for flooding.

In total, there are five watercourses running through the town – Brompton Beck, North Beck, Willow Beck, Sun Beck and Turker Beck.

These watercourses flow through a series of open channels and culverts in the town.

Flooding occurs when heavy rainfall causes excessive flows which the drains and minor watercourses cannot cope with.

These watercourses are tributaries of the River Wiske, which is in the River Swale catchment.

The four new flood warnings areas are in addition to two that already exist:

• Willow Beck: Properties at Chantry Road and Romanby Sewage Works. This warning area covers 10 properties.
• North Beck and Willow Beck: Properties on Finkills Way, Springwell Lane, Chantry Road, Beckside and Rowans Way, plus access to Cherry Croft. There are 51 properties covered by this warning area.

Mr Tan said:

By registering to the Flood Warning Service you will receive an advanced warning of potential flooding in your area.

This gives you time to stay safe, take action and prepare yourself and your property for flooding. Even if your property isn’t at direct risk, your access or your workplace might be.

You can receive a warning message as a phone call to your house, place of work or mobile, as well as an option to receive a text message or e-mail.

To check your flood risk and sign up to receive flood warnings, go to www.gov.uk/flood.

In December 2014, the Environment Agency completed a £3.1m project that reduced flood risk to 172 homes and businesses in Northallerton, plus the Friarage Hospital.

The scheme included the creation of storage areas at Turker Beck and Sun Beck and the installation of hydraulic control measures to reduce the risk of flooding further downstream.

The storage areas hold water after heavy rainfall, slowing the flow of water and reducing the risk of flooding in the town centre. They use the natural lie of the land to avoid the need for building large and obtrusive banks.