Final phase of Legbourne Road flood alleviation scheme underway in Louth

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Since the severe flooding of 2007, East Lindsey District Council has supported 83 flood alleviation schemes across the District with a total expenditure of £336,000. In February, the Council committed a further £1,000,000 to support Environment Agency flood defence programmes in Louth and Horncastle.

The current project for Legbourne Road, Kenwick Road and Albany Crescent has been designed by East Lindsey District Council and the Environment Agency to protect 40 properties. These areas suffered significant flooding in the summer of 2007 when rainwater ran off the fields.

The District Council has invested around £113,500 into the overall scheme.

Phase one of the project was completed in 2008 and involved the creation of a 240-metre dyke in a field behind properties on Legbourne Road. This takes surface water flowing off the fields during heavy rainfall away from homes and into Stewton Beck at a point some distance from residential areas.

The second phase, currently underway, will see the creation of a catchment area on Kenwick Road designed take more of the surface water flowing off the fields to the access point into the Stewton Beck.

Drainage Officer at the District Council, Steve Ross, explained: “People will recall the floods of 2007 and the impact this had on the lives of local people. The District Council takes flood risk very seriously. We’ve worked hard since 2007 to support people in implementing their own flood alleviation schemes, whilst at the same time developing our own. This has protected a large number of properties throughout the district.”