Work to start on second phase of £40m flood scheme in Bury.

The £40 million scheme, forms part of the Environment Agency’s programme of £2.6 billion investment into flood defences across the country. Working in partnership with Bury Council, the scheme, which will be delivered in three parts, will not only reduce the risk of flooding to hundreds of local homes and businesses but aims to keep transport routes and infrastructure open during times of flood. This will help to maintain vital links in an area that has been severely affected by flooding on a number of occasions.

Work on the second phase of the Radcliffe and Redvales Flood Alleviation Scheme will see a combination of traditional walls and embankments, along with new wetland habitat, as part of a catchment wide approach to reducing flood risk.

The project also incorporates a flagship Natural Flood Management (NFM) programme. Natural flood management is when natural processes are used to reduce the risk of flooding. The team is working with partners and landowners across the catchment to deliver a range of measures, such as the Lower Hinds wetland and other natural features. These techniques will hold back water to help reduce the flow of rainwater into the river and help reduce the impacts of climate change.

Construction activity for Phase 2, currently due to start in July, will be in a number of locations including, Warth Road, Central Avenue, Whitefield Road, Dumers Lane and York Street. When works begin, much of the left bank of the river will be inaccessible from Lower Hinds (at the top of Warth Road) to Hardy’s Gate Bridge. The Environment Agency and Bury Council are working with contractor BAM Nuttall to minimise any disruption to the public but ask that residents adhere to any warning signage around the site areas for their own safety.

All works will be undertaken safely in line with Government guidance on social distancing.

Peter Costello, Area Flood and Coastal Risk Manager said:

“It is heartening to see the next stage of this ambitious scheme to reduce the risk of flooding across Radcliffe and Redvales starting. Seeing further work happening on the ground will hopefully give reassurance to residents and businesses owners that soon they will have measures in place to prevent a repeat of the catastrophic damage and pain caused by the impact of past flooding incidents.

“The scheme itself is a perfect example of the value of partnership working but also how when we are designing and building these incredible structures, we can regenerate the natural environment and public spaces while still making communities more flood resilient for the future. We look forward to additional progress on the ground in the coming months and will continue to keep residents and businesses affected by our work informed about the scheme at every stage of its development. Community drop in events will restart once it is safe to do so as and when coronavirus restrictions are lifted.”

Cllr Alan Quinn, cabinet member for the environment said:

“In the last five years Bury has been hit by two of the worst storms in history, Storm Eva (Boxing Day 2015) and Storm Ciara in February. During Storm Ciara, the flood defences installed worked and stopped major flooding in Radcliffe; unfortunately Redvales was flooded as there were no defences yet. This next phase will eventually see Redvales protected and give residents the confidence that these defences are in place to stop flooding. Bury Council has contributed £2m to these defences with a further £3m partnership funding from the NW Rivers Floods & Coastal Committee. In 2018 I led a led a delegation from Bury which successfully lobbied for a further £7m from government to make sure that Bury got the flood defences it needed.”