Croston flood risk management scheme
Published 1 March 2014
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2014
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Croston has a long history of flooding. On 22 June 2012, 72 homes and businesses were flooded in the village after torrential rainfall. The worst flood in recent history occurred on 22 August 1987 when around 205 properties, mostly residential, were affected.
Croston is located on the River Yarrow, just upstream from where it meets the Rivers Lostock and Douglas. This meeting of rivers, combined with a series of culverted (underground) watercourses, drains, sewers and surface water runoff, means that the area has been flooded several times.
1. Identifying the causes of flooding in Croston
The Environment Agency worked with United Utilities, Lancashire County Council, Chorley Borough Council and the Lower Yarrow Flood Action Group to identify the causes of flooding. This was essential so that a sustainable, fit for purpose scheme could be designed, which will reduce the risk of flooding in the future.
2. Community engagement
In May 2013 the Environment Agency held a community drop-in session. This gave residents the opportunity to find out about the flood defence options that were planned for the village.
The session allowed the Environment Agency to tap into local knowledge (which helps make sure that defences are effective) and ensure the scheme addressed local concerns.
In March 2014, a group of residents were trained to use a pump. This will help reduce risk to properties on Church Street and Town Road during a flood.
3. The solution: flood storage
The Environment Agency decided that the best solution is to build flood storage upstream of Eccleston Bridge on the River Yarrow. This will reduce the amount of water that flows through the town when the rivers are in flood.
The scheme will reduce flood risk to almost 420 local homes and businesses.
Construction will begin in January 2015.
4. Cost of the new scheme
The scheme will cost around £6 million to construct and benefits from £2.15 million of government funding. This money was set aside in 2012, following one of the wettest summers on record, to build defences in towns and villages with a high risk of flooding.
Contact the Environment Agency by emailing [email protected] or call Neil Forsythe on 01925 542 987.