Flood alleviation schemes

Newcastle has suffered localised flooding over the decades, while major incidents like “Thunder Thursday” affected the whole city.
We work to reduce the impact of floods and to secure funding to design and deliver schemes that will help to protect homes and businesses. 

Current and future works

We are planning to carry out work to reduce the impact of flooding at:

• Denton
• Blue Green Newcastle

Denton

We are carrying out a consultation on our plans to reduce surface water flooding in West Denton
For more details see our page on the:

• Denton flood alleviation project

Blue Green Newcastle

A partnership project that aims to protect the city centre from flooding. 
For more details see our page on the:

•  Blue Green Newcastle 

Previous schemes

We have completed a number of projects to reduce flooding, including at:

• Brandling Park
• Benfield Road
• Fairways
• Kingsmere Gardens
• Hesleyside Drive in West Fenham
• Moor Road South
• Kenton Bar

Kenton Bar

Kenton Bar Primary School and 54 properties were identified as being at risk of surface water flooding. Kenton Bar Primary School flooded in 2012 and has had frequent significant disruption following episodes of heavy rainfall. Some residents living in the affected area did report flooding inside their homes during the storms of 2012 and on several occasions previously. These residents told us the consequences of flooding were severe, having had serious damage to their homes and negative effects on their health and mental wellbeing.

Modelling to replicate the impact of rainfall and surface water was undertaken on specialist software, this identified the depth and extent of flooding coming from the higher ground at Kenton Lane, and flowing towards the low-lying areas of Ryal Walk, Hartburn Walk and Kenton Bar Primary School. Run off from Kenton School football fields also contributes to flooding in these areas.
During intense rainfall events surface water flows cannot enter the sewer network quickly enough and surface water flows are created, causing flooding to Kenton Bar Primary School, and entering people’s homes through airbricks, garages and over door thresholds.

Newcastle City Council, in its role as Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA) can apply for funding to deliver projects that reduce the risk of surface water flooding. Capital funding for this project was secured from the Environment Agency and the Department for Education. The flood alleviation works took place on 2023.  
The measures that were installed to prevent flooding are:

• creating detention basins in grassed areas to temporarily hold excess water in the Byrness Close area and on Kenton Bar Primary School and Kenton School playing fields.
• new pipes to connect basins to the public sewer network.
• amendments to highways, footways, kerb lines and drainage on certain roads to direct flows into the basins and away from properties.

Water will only flow into the basin when the existing highway drainage is already working at full capacity. This means the basin will normally be dry. Any water collected in the basin will drain away.

West Fenham

In recent years residents of Hesleyside Drive and neighbouring streets have been subject to flooding following heavy rainfall.  
We carried out a study to determine the causes of flooding, flow routes and which properties have been affected or are likely to be in the future. 

The findings of the study found run off from King George's Playing Field was the main cause of surface water flows and determined the depth of flood water around flooded properties.
A flood alleviation scheme (PDF 735kb) has been designed and modelled to create two dry basins (landscaped depressions)  at the low point in the south west corner of the playing field to intercept surface water during times of heavy rain, before releasing it in a controlled manner into the sewer network.  Modelling demonstrated that this would improve protection to properties on Hesleyside Drive and neighbouring streets.  Both basins will be planted with trees and wildflower meadow to help absorb water and create biodiversity and amenity.

The study also determined that surface water run off from roads contributed to flooding, although only a small number of properties were affected.  The installation of property resilience measures will address this and the affected residents will be contacted directly regarding this.
Discussions took place with Sport England to address the impacts of the basins on sports pitches, as one of them had to be moved a few metres to accommodate the scheme.
Construction work began in July 2021 for an expected completion date of winter 2021.

Kingsmere Gardens

Residents of Kingsmere Gardens have been subject to flooding after heavy rainfall, most recently during the 2012 thunder storms.  Newcastle City Council carried out a study to determine the causes of flooding, flow routes and which properties were at risk.  Results of the study identified that Kingsmere Gardens was situated in a low point and surface water run off from neighbouring streets was contributing to flooding properties.  The study highlighted the depth and volume of water around the properties and the information was used to design a solution that would convey the surface water flows away from properties to a location that was able to cope with additional volumes of water.

The flood alleviation scheme design  (pdf 735.3 kb) captures surface water flows at the junction of Kingsmere Gardens and Exeter Street via specialised oversized gullies.  The gullies are connected to a large pipe which will convey water along Exeter Street across Wharrier Street and into Walker Park.  In Walker Park the pipe is connected to an underground tank which will hold the surface water before slowly discharging into the wildflower meadow area within the park (formerly the dry lake).

Phase 1 of the work in the park  to the wildflower meadow was completed September 2020.  The meadow has been lowered to reduce the speed of the surface water flows and re-seeded with wildflowers and wetland plants, it will take a few weeks to establish growth.  The soil that was removed has been re-used to create a gentler slope on the side of the footpath close to the park's lodge.
Phase 2 of the scheme started in November 2020.  Newcastle City Council worked closely with partners Urban Green (and National Lottery Heritage Fund through Urban Green) to minimise any disruption to the park.