A series of walks and presentations have taken place at a flood alleviation scheme in Surrey, to help local school children and residents learn more about the project.
Situated on the River Wey, Godalming has a long history of flooding, with four notable events in the past 50 years (1968, 1990, 2000 and 2013). On the most recent occasion in 2013, the Meadrow and Catteshall Road area was flooded, restricting access from Meadrow to Godalming.
The Godalming Flood Alleviation Scheme is being carried out by Mackley working as part of Team Van Oord and on behalf of a partnership comprising the Environment Agency, Surrey County Council, Waverley Borough Council, Godalming Town Council, Thames Water, Scottish and Southern Electricity and the Godalming Flood Group.
Work got underway in October 2018 and includes the construction of a 525m-long sheet pile wall along the bank of ‘Hell Ditch’. Meanwhile, a bespoke demountable flood barrier will be installed on Catteshall Bridge, which can be closed when river levels rise.
Once complete, the project will reduce the flood risk to at least 90 homes in the vicinity and will help keep Meadrow open during floods.
In recent weeks, children from nearby schools have enjoyed visits to the scheme – including a walk to explain what the machines, workers and equipment are doing.
One teacher from Godalming Junior School said: “Thank you very much for the trip today. The children enjoyed it very much and were able to tell us a lot of things that they had learnt today.”
Local residents have also taken part in a series of on-site walks, together with a briefing from members of the project team, and an opportunity to ask questions.
Further guided walks are planned in the coming months.
18 February 2019
