Newcastle, United Kingdom
City population: 280177
Duration: 2016 – 2016
Implementation status: Completed
Scale: Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level
Project area: unknown
Type of area: Residential
Last updated: June 2024

The Brunton Park residential area in the northern part of Newcastle had a history of flooding as a result of urban growth in the local area and developments in the upper parts of the Ouseburn catchment. A total of 62 properties were at risk of sewer flooding whilst 74 properties were located within a flood zone. In 2014, the collaboration of the Northumbria Water, the Environmental Agency and the Newcastle City Council created the Brunton Park Flood Alleviation Scheme with the strategic objective to reduce the potential for flooding of adjacent properties from surface water and the Ouseburn, whilst also developing a sustainable, self-maintaining channel which supports environmental, social and economic purposes at the same time. (12) The project included physical measures of embankment building, diverting part of the Ouseburn river, installation of sewage storing tank, and creating new water-dependent habitat (12)

Brunton Park Flood Alleviation Scheme
Source: https://wwtonline.co.uk/news/major-newcastle-flood-scheme-complete#.WVNfJulLfIU

Overview

Nature-based solution

  • Blue infrastructure
  • Rivers/streams/canals/estuaries
  • In-land wetlands, peatlands, swamps, and moors
  • Green areas for water management
  • Sustainable urban drainage systems
  • Grey infrastructure featuring greens
  • Riverbank/Lakeside greens

Key challenges

  • Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
  • Green space creation and/or management
  • Water management (SDG 6)
  • Flood protection
  • Stormwater and rainfall management and storage

Focus

Creation of new green areas, Management and improved protection of rivers and other blue areas

Project objectives

1. Reduce the potential for flooding of adjacent properties from surface water and the Ouseburn (12) 2. Developing a sustainable, self-maintaining channel which supports a rich variety and abundance of aquatic plants for invertebrates, fish, mammals and birds to thrive (12)

Implementation activities

- Upsizing and construction of approx 2km of foul and surface water sewers. - Construction of an off-line pumped return foul sewage storage tank and associated valve chambers and above ground control panel and kiosk. - Re-alignment of a 400m length of the Ouseburn. - Modifications to the existing Ouseburn channel to form a 7500cu m SuDS storage channel and associated downstream outfall and flow control chamber. - Construction of 400m of earth flood defence embankment within the golf course. - Construction of 250m of reinforced concrete and brick clad flood defence wall within private gardens. - A temporary bridge across the Ouseburn to allow construction access from the Brunton Park estate onto the golf course. - Creation of approx 0.5Ha of new water dependant habitat. (12)

Main beneficiaries

  • Local government/Municipality
  • Private sector/Corporate/Company
  • Citizens or community groups

Governance

Management set-up

  • Co-governance with government and non-government actors

Type of initiating organisation

  • National government
  • Citizens or community group
  • Private sector/corporate actor/company

Participatory approaches/ community involvement

  • Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
  • Dissemination of information and education

Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project

The Northumbrian Water Company and the Environment Agency began the joint flood reduction scheme in 2014. The partnership approach has also involved working closely with the Newcastle City Council. (6) The actual implementation was carried out by the Northumbrian Water Company on behalf of the Environmental Agency (6) The golf club was also a significant stakeholder as a 400m diversion of the Ouseburn channel into the golf course (12)

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? Yes (The EU Water Framework Directive (WFD), through the EA being “funded for its own schemes linked to managing flooding from the sea and rivers and WFD by the FDGiA system”. (7) )
... a national policy or strategy? Yes (The Environment Agency (who is part of this project) provides a national flood and coastal erosion risk management strategy for England. (8) )
... a local policy or strategy? Yes (Newcastle City Council 'Local flood risk management plan' (7, 9))

Financing

Total cost

More than €4,000,000

Source(s) of funding

  • Public local authority budget
  • Public national budget
  • Corporate investment

Type of funding

  • Earmarked public budget
  • Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)

Non-financial contribution

Unknown

Impacts and Monitoring

Environmental impacts

  • Climate change
  • Strengthened capacity to address climate hazards/natural disasters
  • Water management and blue areas
  • Increased protection against flooding
  • Improved stormwater management
  • Green space and habitat
  • Increased green space area
  • Increased number of species present

Economic impacts

  • Other

Socio-cultural impacts

  • Unknown

Type of reported impacts

Achieved impacts

Presence of formal monitoring system

Yes

Presence of indicators used in reporting

Yes

Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports

Yes

Availability of a web-based monitoring tool

No

References

1. Northumbrian Water. (n.d.). Brunton Park. Improvement schemes. Website not available
2. Ouseburn Co-ordination Meeting. (2015). Meeting minutes. Brunton Park Flood Alleviation Scheme (FAS). 19th November 2015, City of Newcastle Golf Course. Accessed on October 20, 2020, Source link
3. Source link. (2016). Community event marks flood scheme. Accessed on October 20, 2020, Source link
4. Northumbrian Water. (n.d.). Brunton Park - Project background. Improvement schemes. Website not available
5. WWT. (2016). Major Newcastle flood scheme complete. News. Accessed on October 20, 2020, Source link
6. Source link. (2016). River diverted to reduce flood risk. Press release. Accessed on October 20, 2020, Source link
7. Newcastle City Council. (2016). Local flood risk management plan. Website not available
8. Environmental Agency. (2011). The national flood and coastal erosion risk management strategy for England. GOV. UK. Accessed on October 20, 2020, Source link
9. The City of Newcastle. (n.d.). Flood Management Plans. Environment. Accessed on October 20, 2020, Source link
10. Newcastle City Council. (n.d.). Flood risk & surface water management. Website not available.
11. Åberg, U. & Mant, J. (2015). Ouse Burn: Restoration, flood retention and enhancement opportunities and examples. RRC. Accessed on October 20, 2020, Source link
12. Northumbrian Water. (2016). Rainwise - Sustainable Drainage Solutions. Working with communities to manage rainwater. Brunton Park, Gosforth, Newcastle. Accessed on October 20, 2020, Source link
Brunton Park Flood Alleviation Scheme
Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/community-event-marks-flood-scheme-official-opening