29/4/2008

The flood barrier installed at Clementhorpe

TRIALS of a new flood defence system which will protect dozens of homes in York from the threat of rising waters have begun.

Teams of workers have been putting the "Aqua Barrier" in the Clementhorpe area of the city, which was badly hit by floods in 2000, into place for the last four weeks.

And they are now holding trial runs of how the system's plastic units, which will link up with a rubber seal to hold back the water, will slot into place once the barrier at the junction of Clementhorpe and Terry Avenue is fully operational.

The new defences are part of a pilot scheme being carried out by Birse Civils and AquaBarrier Systems, which has meant none of the cost has been met by City of York Council.

It is designed to reduce the risk of flooding to more than 40 homes in the area, and are also expected to protect a further 50 properties from being cut off by water.

The barrier has already been tested in a dry dock and a hydraulic research establishment, but is now being tested on-site for the first time.

It will allow non-skilled workers to raise sections of the system at a rate of 20 metres per hour.

"The trials will give the council an indication of how quickly the barrier can be deployed and how it fits together," said a spokesman for the project, which has also received funding from the Environment Agency.

"It will also satisfy them that the system will work well when the need arises."

The flood defence improvements have meant Clementhorpe has been temporarily closed at its junction with Terry Avenue to allow the road and footpath to be dug up, with diversions being put in place during the work.