PEOPLE living in the Lustrum Beck area of Stockton are invited to a drop-in session next week to learn more about the next stage of a £3m flood defence scheme.

Stockton Borough Council and the Environment Agency (EA) are preparing to start work on the next phase in October, which will include.the demolition and replacement of Londonderry Bridge.

It will provide further protection to the 162 homes worst affected by the Autumn 2012 floods.

In order to replace Londonderry Bridge, Durham Road, which runs across it, will close for around six months. Diversion routes will be in place and the council is working with bus companies to ensure services from the Newtown and Primrose Hill area into Stockton town centre are maintained.

The public can learn more about the scheme between 2pm and 7pm on Wednesday, August 5, at Newtown Resource Centre on Durham Road.

The council's cabinet member for the environment, Mike Smith, said: “Properties in this area have been affected by flooding for more than ten years and that’s why the council worked tirelessly with the EA to secure the funding needed to build the flood defences.

“Whilst we understand that the removal and replacement of Londonderry Bridge will inconvenience residents and commuters who use Durham Road to get into Stockton town centre, the six months of disruption are more than outweighed by the fact that flooding in the area will be significantly reduced.

“I would encourage anyone living close to Lustrum Beck to come along to the drop-in so they can find out in depth information about the scheme.”

David Rose, the council's cabinet member for regeneration and transport, added: “We appreciate that the diversions will lead to more traffic than usual using nearby streets and that there will need to be some diversions to the bus services, but the replacement of Londonderry Bridge is an absolutely vital element of the flood defence scheme.

"It will help prevent a repeat of the devastating flood damage we saw in 2012 so I would please ask neighbouring residents and businesses to bear with us while the works take place.”

The flood defence work will include:

• Completely replacing Londonderry Bridge to allow water to pass more rapidly and easily

• Replacing flood walls and embankments at Bedford Street and Newtown to increase the level of flood protection

• Replacing the existing debris screen at Primrose Hill with an innovative lifting screen that will significantly reduce the risk of blockages

• The creation of a new green space to help retain surface water in the Browns Bridge area.

The £3 million works are funded by Flood Defence Grant in Aid, North East local levy and Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council.

Environment Agency Project Manager, Ted Thomas, said: “Work will start in October on further elements of the Lustrum Beck scheme, which will all tie in with the flood wall at Bishopton Road which was completed in December last year.

“We appreciate there will be some inconvenience to residents throughout the work and we’ll be working with Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council to keep disruption to a minimum, and this short term disruption will result in long term benefits for the community."