Level of flood water marked in Morpeth

Jun 15 2009 By Dave Black, The Journal

The exercise, which also involved information leaflets being handed out to visitors, was carried out on the annual Morpeth Fair Day, which sees thousands of people flock to the town for hours of entertainment. Morpeth Flood Action Group chairman Alan Bell said it was aimed at raising awareness of the continued flood risk facing the town, and the misery still being suffered by victims.

He said: "We will be meeting representatives of the Agency later this month to find out more about progress with the flood alleviation scheme. Most people have been very supportive of what we are doing, and we have created the blue line on major routes into the town so that as many people as possible see it."

Group member, Vanessa Braidwood, said: "Some people may be shocked to see how much damage was caused to businesses and residents during that 48-hour period. Our purpose is to point out that unless we have better flood defences in the town the very same devastation could happen again." The Agency is working on a scheme which is expected to involve a combination of enhanced flood walls in the town centre and the creation of upstream water storage areas to limit flows at times of torrential rain.

Initial public consultation was carried out in April and the Agency will be coming back with a preferred option in the next few months for further public discussion and debate.

Mr Bell, whose own home in Middle Greens was flooded nine months ago, said: "As a group we have already said we want to see the upstream storage solution go ahead."