Allerdale Council has approved the plans for a £4.4m floods defence scheme for works in Cockermouth. The long-awaited project will provide the necessary safety measures for many homes and businesses.
The scheme includes a self-rising flood barrier at Rubbybanks Road, the creation of new embankments, flood gates and higher flood walls along the River Derwent and the River Cocker. As well as flood-resistant uPVC windows in the listed houses at The Croft.
Also in order to prevent future flooding, the town’s rivers must be regularly dredged otherwise the river bed could rise as high as the planned defences.
Some of the issues still left to be resolved are the exact type of stone to be used on certain flood walls and methods of carrying out the works.
Concerns about the scheme were raised by the National Trust, which owns Wordsworth House. They feared that the work, which was scheduled during the tourist season, could affect visitor numbers. They later gave support to the project, according to News & Star.
The Environment Agency’s plans were backed up unanimously by the council’s development panel.
[mappress]
Dredging Today Staff, April 11, 2012;