Skip to main content

Floods: Newcastle Upon Tyne

Volume 486: debated on Thursday 15 January 2009

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to investigate and help prevent instances of localised flooding, with particular reference to Newcastle upon Tyne. (244125)

On 17 December, in response to Sir Michael Pitt’s Review of the floods in summer 2007, the Government announced how flooding issues will be tackled in the future.

Local action is already taking place in many areas of the country. The Environment Agency, Newcastle City Council and Northumbrian Water Limited have formed a ‘strategic co-ordination group’ to investigate flooding across the Ouseburn Catchment and establish what measures may reduce the impact of future flooding across Newcastle City. The group is investigating possible improvements to the surface and foul water drainage systems, and potential alterations to bridges and channel capacity in the Gosforth area to alleviate the risk of flooding.

The Environment Agency have completed 54 new flood defences since June 2007 which has increased protection to around 38,000 properties.