Image demonstrating Community partnership award for Hexham flood scheme

Community partnership award for Hexham flood scheme

Success for Northumberland County Council and partners at the 2019 Flood and Coast Awards. 
 
Flood and Coast is a three-day exhibition and programme of workshops, presentations, debate and panel sessions event that advances the debate about flood and coastal erosion risk, resilience and response, and culminates in an awards ceremony.
 
The winning project, ‘Reducing flood risk at Tyne Green’ was a collaboration between; Northumberland County Council, Network Rail, the Environment Agency and local residents, and was awarded the ‘Community Partnership’ award. 
 
The Flood and Coast Awards held at Telford International Centre saw nine categories marking out individuals and organisations for their commitment to flood and coast activities nationally.
 
The Northumberland team beat off tough competition from across the UK to be shortlisted alongside two other community partnership projects in their category. 
 
The project team came together after our region was badly hit in December 2015 by ‘Storm Desmond’ resulting in record-breaking rainfall and water flow in the River Tyne.
 
There was significant flooding in a number of local communities, including at Tyne Green, Hexham where 15 homes were flooded.
 
Faced with restrictions in attracting government flood grant support Northumberland County Council, Network Rail, the Environment Agency and the local residents came together to form a revolutionary funding collaboration and deliver this important flood-defence scheme.
 
Cllr Nick Oliver, Northumberland's representative on the Regional Flood and Coastal Committee, said: “This project was a true collaboration between us and our partner organisations which has revolutionised the way grants can be used to collaboratively fund a community-based flood defence scheme.
 
“This project has brought about long-term change and has been truly transformational for the people of Hexham. The residents were unwavering in their commitment to the scheme, and have come together to help to protect their homes against future flooding events.”
 
As well as winning the Community Partnership Award the project team was also invited to present at the conference and has been recognised nationally as a trailblazer for partnership working. 
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