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Flood defence test: The Environment Agency's £7m Northwich Flood Risk Management Scheme will be put to the test in exercise next week.

The Environment Agency is carrying out a large-scale training exercise in Northwich as part of a winter preparedness programme to make sure it is ready to respond to flood incidents.

The exercise - due to take place between 4pm on Sunday 10 November and 3am on Monday 11 November -  will see 100 metres of temporary defences erected and 14 flood gates closed in the town.

The event will start with the closing of floodgates at Waitrose and the Dane Bridge, as well as setting up temporary flood defences outside Wildwood and the cinema. As part of this phase, the far end of London Road will also be closed and a viable alternative route provided.

Pumps also tested

Temporary defences are made of lightweight aluminium and can be erected in around 45 minutes in the event of a flood alert or warning.

At Dane Bridge, two layers of barrier act as a channel to keep water within the River Dane, preventing it from spilling over towards London Road or Watling Street.

The floodgates are closed in minutes and create a seal to protect the town from floodwater.

As part of Cheshire West and Chester Council’s commitment to protecting Northwich, pumps are currently in situ - and working with the Environment Agency these will be tested on Dane Street.

Since its launch in June 2018, the £7 million flood alleviation scheme, which reduces the flood risk to around 400 homes and businesses throughout the town, has been tested and maintained on a regular basis.

Important teams are ‘ready’

Mary-Rose Muncaster, Environment Agency Operations Manager for Cheshire, said:

Although we hope these defences won’t be needed in Northwich this winter, it’s important our teams are ready for whatever the weather has in store for us.

We train all year round but, with the increased flood risk during the wetter months ahead, we want to make sure we are equipped to respond to incidents.

These emergency response plans should give reassurance to residents in Northwich. However, it is important to remember that we can never fully protect against flooding.

Residents should always prepare in advance for this by going online and signing up for free flood warnings.

Alternatively, they can telephone the Environment Agency Floodline on 0345 988 1188 and find out what they can do to protect themselves and their property when flooding hits.

‘We want to do everything we can’

Councillor Karen Shore, Cabinet Member for Environment, Transport and Highways at Cheshire West and Chester Council, added:

Northwich and many areas of our borough have been affected by flooding in recent years and we want to do everything we can to prevent flooding impacts now and in the future.

We have been working with partners including the Environment Agency throughout the year to prevent a repeat of further flooding damage occurring to homes and businesses.

Our teams are supporting the Environment Agency’s important and large-scale exercise this weekend to test temporary and permanent flood barriers, which would be deployed in emergencies.

We have a strong record of partnership working with agencies across the borough because it is vital that all agencies are able to act swiftly to protect residents in the event of a flood in the future and testing such as this will help teams to be well prepared.

The exercise will allow the Environment Agency to conduct routine inspection and maintenance of the defences, whilst also providing an opportunity to exercise procedures in conjunction with our partners.