Hope rises for early start on flood work
Oct 8 2008 by William Green, The Journal
WORK on a scheme to protect Morpeth from flooding could be speeded up, the Government has signalled. The news comes after the town and other parts of Northumberland were hit by serious flooding last month, which affected about 1,000 homes and businesses.
Some 250 families took advantage of rescue centres and temporary accommodation, while an old people’s home in Ponteland was evacuated.
The Environment Agency has already been working on a scheme to protect Morpeth from flooding, which was scheduled to be established by 2012.
Environment Secretary Hilary Benn yesterday said the agency was undertaking emergency work on a damaged weir upstream of Morpeth, defences in the town and designing a replacement for a floodwall destroyed by the force of the water.
“The Environment Agency is also developing a new scheme to protect Morpeth to the highest possible standard. The scheme is at the end of year one of its current four-year programme and efforts will be made to explore a faster timescale for construction,” he said.
Mr Benn thanked emergency services, councils, Environment Agency, voluntary organisations and others who had come together to get communities back to normal. But he stressed the recovery and support operation would continue for some months, although Government cash would be available while regional development chiefs had made £500,000 available to help affected firms.
Les Cassie, a member of Castle Morpeth borough and the town council, said: “I am delighted that it can be done and as soon as possible is the only thing that people in Morpeth want to hear.
“It is still going to take two or three years, whatever they do, and the town will continue to be at risk if there is a level of rainfall as high as there was six weeks ago.
“It is a pretty rare event, so let’s just hope they get it done before that happens again.”
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Rockers do the business for stricken community
A GROUP of leading business executives who like to bash out rock ’n’ roll in their spare time are tuning up for a special concert to help flood victims in Morpeth.
Seven-piece rock band 55 Degrees is made up of a music-mad collection of North East business people who enjoy combining their musical skills to raise cash for worthy causes.
Band members have agreed to perform at Newcastle City Hall on Sunday, October 19, to support the Morpeth Flood Victims’ Appeal Fund launched by the town’s Lions Club.
The appeal has already raised more than £70,000 to provide cash handouts for the hundreds of people whose homes were devastated when the River Wansbeck became a raging torrent on September 6.
55 Degrees play classic covers, ranging from the Police to the Rolling Stones and the Kaiser Chiefs to the Beatles.
Members use their extensive business networks and influence to raise awareness and funds for worthy causes – and immediately offered their musical services after being moved by the coverage of the Morpeth floods.
Lead singer David Haley is head of client management with BT, rhythm guitarist John Cuthbert is managing director of Northumbrian Water, lead guitarist Pete Rea is Newcastle Airport’s head of health and safety and bassist Ian Lawson is chairman of engineering firm Ramsay Services.
Keyboard player Andrew Dixon is chief executive of Newcastle/Gateshead Initiative, drummer Larry Roberts is sales and marketing manager with Cintra HR & Payroll Services and singer Laura Robinson works for Ryder Architects.
The City Hall concert – which has been labelled Riverstorm and will feature three other local bands – was the brainchild of Mr Roberts.
He said: “We’ve raised money for other charities like Water Aid in the past, but it’s difficult to ignore something so devastating practically on your doorstep.
“We know it will be a long haul for almost 1,000 families in Morpeth, so we’re keen to do all we can to help.’’
The concert will also include up and coming indie band the Mosaics, the Honest Johns, who are fresh from recording an album, and Straightshooter, a rock outfit whose lineup includes Castle Morpeth Council’s head of IT, Mike Kenworthy.
Council chief executive Ken Dunbar said: “It’s brilliant to see the business community rallying round to help, with everyone giving their services at no cost to us. Riverstorm looks set to be a great night out as well as a great way to support the Morpeth Lions Appeal.’’
Tickets for the concert cost £10 and are available from the City Hall box office on (0191) 261-2606.
For other stories about Morpeth, click here
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Action planned
COUNCILLORS in South Tyneside have welcomed a decision by Northumbrian Water to bring forward plans for a £2.6m project to prevent flooding.
Work to improve and increase capacity in the sewerage network in the Newland Court area of South Shields will include constructing a large storm water storage tank to cut flood risk.
The work will now start in the new year, having originally been pencilled in to start in 2010 at the earliest.
Northumbrian Water agreed to bring the work forward after Whiteleas councillors Terry Haram, Bill Brady and Ernest Gibson worked with South Shields MP David Miliband to highlight local people’s concerns.
It is hoped the sewerage scheme will help end the flood problems which have affected homes in Newland Court since 2002.
Northumbrian Water operations director Graham Neave said: “We appreciate the distress that flooding causes and reducing the amount of customers affected by flooding is one of our top priorities.
“The work in Newland Court has been reprioritised due to further recent flooding and we are now in the process of finalising details of the improvement scheme.”
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