Work starts on £1.4million flood alleviation scheme in Plymstock
26th February 2019
A £1.4million scheme to protect homes and roads from flooding in Plymstock starts next month.
The project is being jointly funded by South West Water, the Environment Agency and Plymouth City Council. This is because they are separately responsible for public sewers, watercourses and highways drainage respectively – all of which have contributed to historic flooding in Plymstock.
The scheme includes:
- Installing 240 metres of new surface water sewers along Pomphlett Road, Ronsdale Close and Grove Road
- Installing 100 metres of pipe to connect to a new surface water sewer
- Using a specialist tunnelling machine to lay a new 120-metre surface water sewer, connected to the surface water outfall on the Plym Estuary
- Upgrading 260 metres of combined sewer along Ronsdale Close
- Relining a further 50 metres of sewer
The improvements will protect 22 homes with a history of internal sewer flooding in and around Pomphlett Road and Ronsdale Close as well as Pomphlett Methodist Church, which regularly reports external flooding.
In addition to increasing capacity in the sewers, removing surface water from the combined sewerage network will reduce the frequency of stormwater overflows into the Plym Estuary. The new surface water sewers will also reduce surface water flooding on local roads.
Work starts on Monday 4 March and is due to finish in the summer.
South West Water project manager Jean-Paul Staniforth said: “We’re pleased to be delivering this important project on behalf of our partners, the Environment Agency and Plymouth City Council, as part of our Downstream Thinking approach, which aims to deliver sustainable drainage strategies by working in partnership to resolve historic flooding and pollution issues.
“While we will do our best to minimise disruption in the area, some temporary traffic lights and local road closures with diversions will be needed. All local businesses will be open as usual.
“We’d like to thank residents and businesses for their patience and understanding while we carry out this improvement work.”
Councillor Sue Dann, Plymouth City Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment and Street Scene, said: “This scheme should significantly reduce the risk of flooding in this part of Plymstock and will be welcomed by residents and road users.
“We’ve been working closely with South West Water and the Environment Agency on all aspects of the project, including the design, construction and traffic management, to deliver improvements that will make a real difference, with the least disruption possible.”
For more information including planned road closures see www.southwestwater.co.uk/plymstock