The new £1m flood wall in Winchester, jointly funded by Hampshire County Council, Winchester City Council, the Environment Agency and the University, was unveiled on Tuesday 23 August.
The wall has openings for everyday access, which can be closed by slotting in flood gates to protect the surrounding area, including the Winchester School of Art, homes and businesses.
Leader of Hampshire County Council, Councillor Roy Perry, said:
“This flood barrier provides much needed relief and peace of mind for residents in the St Bede’s and River Park areas, which were badly flooded in 2000/01 and 2013/14 following prolonged periods of heavy rainfall. Flooding is a shared problem which is why a shared solution was needed. I’m grateful that Winchester City Council, the Environment Agency and the University of Southampton have worked with us to build this flood defence to help protect the local community in this part of the city.”
The University of Southampton’s Executive Director of Estates and Facilities, Kevin Monaghan said:
“In the past, severe flooding has caused significant disruption to our Winchester School of Art campus and the new flood defences are most welcome. We were pleased to work collaboratively with Winchester City Council, Hampshire County Council and the Environment Agency to find a long-term solution that protects us and also our neighbours.”
You can find more about this story on Hampshire County Council’s Facebook and Twitter pages.
