£1.5 million flood prevention work programme for Burnham Market revealed

Water company bosses have outlined plans for a £1.5 million upgrade which they hope will reduce the impact of flooding on a West Norfolk village.

Work is set to begin next week on expanding the water recycling centre at Burnham Market, enabling it to hold more excess water during extreme weather events.

And Anglian Water officials say CCTV checks of the area’s sewer network are also being made in a bid to identify and clear blockages which could put extra pressure on the system.

The project comes after the village, along with other West Norfolk communities, was badly affected by flooding last winter.

The area was one of 16 priority locations identified by the county’s strategic flood alliance, which was set up in the wake of the crisis.

And the group, of which Anglian Water is a member, recently revealed that funding bids had been submitted for work in Burnham Market, as well as the Creakes and Gayton.

Rob Kelly, Anglian Water’s water recycling networks leader, said today: “We know how distressing flooding can be and we recognise that this is a particular concern for our customers in Burnham following the heavy rainfall last winter which inundated our foul sewer network.

“Climate change is increasing the likelihood and frequency of extreme weather, and we want to do all we can to make this community more resilient to the threat of flooding in the future.

“Working together with other agencies is vitally important if we are to prepare and adapt to the increasing risk of extreme weather and flooding.

“Our responsibility is to ensure our network is ready to meet these future challenges and is fit for the long-term benefit of our customers.”

The work is due to begin on Monday and is expected to be completed by the summer. Some traffic disruption is expected during the initial phase of the project.