Flood protection works help householders

A range of flood protection works has been carried out to help householders in Dover following grant funding of more than £110,000 from the Environment Agency to protect properties in the area for the future.
 
The funding was awarded following work on a Surface Water Management Plan, which has been prepared for Kent County Council in partnership with Dover District Council and others, including Southern Water and the Environment Agency.
 
The plan focuses primarily on the surface water flood risk in the Dover Town area, and was funded by DEFRA. As part of work on the plan, a number of properties were found to be eligible for grants for flood protection, and KCC and DDC applied for the funding.

DDC has delivered the grant, with support from KCC, and the scheme included properties in Maison Dieu Road, The Paddock, East Street and Folkestone Road. Works included raising the threshold to properties, installing flood guards, new sealed doors, brick walls, self-closing airbricks and non-return valves to sewer drainage, designed to prevent flooding from surface water as well as the river.
 
Cllr Nigel Collor, DDC Cabinet Member for Access and Property Management said: "This is excellent news, and a fine example of partnership working with a number of organisations, as well as householders in Dover, which has meant partners have been able to get this work completed to help protect properties for the future."

KCC's Cabinet Member for Environment, Highways and Waste, Bryan Sweetland, said: "I am delighted that these homes will enjoy a high level of flood protection following close co-operation between the parties involved. Dover is the first area in Kent to receive this work since we took on responsibility for promoting an understanding of the risks around surface water flooding and the problems it can cause."

For more information about this scheme, contact Property Services at DDC on 01304 872399. For more information about KCC's new flood role and other Surface Water Management Plans, visit the KCC website at www.kent.gov.uk/flooding.