Liverpool launches flood risk reduction trial

Liverpool City Council (LCC) has launched a new trial in a bid to tackle flood risk as part of its joint venture partnership with infrastructure and business services group Mouchel.


The trial forms part of the partnership programme ‘2020 Liverpool’, and will see a structural and condition survey of the city’s 14km watercourse network carried out to help the council identify areas of the network that are in poor condition and require upgrading to improve surface water drainage.

The partnership was set up in 2003 in response to increased flooding in the city, which has been now been identified as a key climate risk change for the city.

Following the survey, work will be carried out to improve the watercourse network, with the total project estimated to cost £849k. LCC has so far received a £312k grant from the Environment Agency (EA) to fund the initiative and is bidding for an additional £536k from the agency.

It is also anticipated that the survey will identify uncharted watercourses, which will be surveyed and recorded. The findings will then be used to form a prioritised programme of maintenance and improvement works, as well as enabling the council to put emergency plans in place.

Liverpool City Council regeneration and transport cabinet member Malcolm Kennedy, said: “Flooding in Liverpool has increased in severity in recent years, and this trend is expected to continue, due to predicted increases in rainfall. Flooding has a hugely negative impact on our city, causing damage to properties, disrupting traffic, damaging our highways and contaminating our watercourses.

“The hi-tech survey will enable us to understand the layout, condition and capacity of the network, so we can effectively manage flood risks in this city for many years to come.”

Carys Matthews

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