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Scheme approved for funding
We know that the intention is to have upstream storage at Mitford and bring the in town defences up to the equivalent of 1 in 50 years. The overall protection is to a standard that would have protected us from the flooding in September 2008, 1 in 137years. There needs to be work carried out to the burns in town to bring them up to the same standard.
Unfortunately the scheme was deferred due to cutbacks imposed on all government departments as part of the Coalitions spending review. It has now been approved for funding (subject to ratification at the EA board meeting in January 2012).
The Area EA has been progressing the design work with £100,000 support from the Northumbria Regional Flood Defence Committtee local levy and £250,000 they have managed to find from their budget elsewhere. A preferred contractor had been appointed, Birse, but we don’t know if this is still so.
The FDGiA grant from Central EA is only about £11m. We are thankful to Northumberland County Council who have committed themselves to support the residents and businesses of Morpeth by finding the additional £8-12m required for the scheme to progress.
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