Denbighshire has declared the finishing of the Denbigh Flood Relief Management Scheme a success as work has now finished, the traffic controls have gone and the roads get back to normal.
Back in 2009, work started to design a scheme to improve the old and crumbling, 200 year old culvert that runs east to west under many of Denbigh’s streets. The Lenten Pool area was particularly prone to flooding in extreme rainfall. Now, over 250 homes and business will be protected from a one in 100 year event.
The £4.9m scheme, which was funded by the EU Convergence fund managed by the Welsh European Funding Office.(WEFO), was led by Denbighshire County Council, was project managed and designed by Martin Wright Associates, Coastal Defence and Flood Risk Management Engineers, with Galliford Try & McPhillips contractors.
During the extensive works motorists had to endure weeks of traffic controls and road closures while contractors tunnelled a total of 420 meters in length underneath Denbigh. In order to keep disruption to motorists to a minimum, contractors used tunnelling techniques, which are usually used in inner city areas.
At the height of the disruption, there was a remarkable discovery in the form of an ancient wooden beam – thought to be evidence of an early Christian fort.
An essential part of the scheme, as directed by the Welsh Government, was that it must also include a strong element of community engagement and raising awareness of flood resilience.
To this end, a series of innovations were introduced into the process. These included a specific website for the scheme with regular updates; using social media such as Facebook, twitter and text alerts, as well as approaching every school in the area and running workshops on the scheme and flood awareness. Numerous other groups throughout the town were also given presentations and there were library exhibitions, leaflets drawn up and attendance at public events. The scheme website www.denbighflood.co.uk will remain live to help ensure that the management of flood risk in Denbigh continues after the completion of the construction phase of the scheme.
Denbighshire’s Cabinet Lead Member for Environment, Councillor Sharon Frobisher, said: “I am delighted the scheme has been completed. Now more than 250 homes and businesses are now adequately protected and the project was carried out within the set timescale and that it has been so successful.
“I would like to thank motorists for their patience during this time. We know there was a good deal of disruption but we did whatever we could to keep this to a minimum.”
