Newark MP Robert Jenrick among attendees at Environment Agency ground-breaking event as work begins on £26 million Lowdham Cocker Beck flood alleviation scheme

Work has officially begun on long-awaited defences which will protect nearly 200 houses from flooding.

MP Robert Jenrick, councillor Roger Jackson, Newark and Sherwood District Council leader Paul Peacock, members of Lowdham Parish Council and the village’s flood action group joined the Environment Agency and contractor Jackson Civil Engineering to break ground on the £26 million project on Friday (October 6).

The scheme, which will see a floodwater storage area built using compacted soil and ultra-low carbon concrete to create a raised reservoir on land above Lowdham, at Rockleys View, is hoped to be completed by Winter 2025 and prevent the flooding of 191 properties.

It will be able to hold up to 100,000 cubic metres of water in times when the Cocker Beck, a tributary of the River Trent, floods, holding water back from inundating the village.

Peter Cross, chairman of the Lowdham Flood Action Group, attended the ground-breaking event. He said: “It’s a huge relief, there’s been 23 years of worry about flooding and this will provide protection from all but the most catastrophic event.

“Everybody is very happy.”

Peter emphasised that communication with residents who will be affected by the building works, but whose properties are on higher ground and so will not benefit from the scheme, was of utmost importance as the works progressed.

Lowdham experienced significant flooding in 1999, 2007, 2012, 2013, 2019 and most recently in 2020, which have caused severe damage and disruption to residents and businesses.

The 2020 flood has been described as ‘appalling’ with water reaching waist height in some places.

Funding for the scheme was confirmed by Newark MP Robert Jenrick in August.

Mr Jenrick added: “I’m absolutely delighted that this is going forward. Lowdham has been flooded ten times in the last 20 years and it has put a huge strain on businesses and residents.

“It has been an amazing team effort to get to this point, and it is the result of a determined parish council and flood group and tenacious councillors like Roger Jackson.”

Responsible for the project is the Environment Agency’s area flood and coastal risk manager for the East Midlands Paul Lockhart.

He explained that while the project is hoped to officially be completed by Winter 2025, it would begin providing protection much earlier as the reservoir took shape.

“That’s when we will hand it over formally,” Paul added.

“Building a reservoir is quite a big thing, two years is quite an undertaking.”

Paul Harrison, chairman of Lowdham Parish Council, said: “The problem with it flooding regularly is people start to fear every time it rains.

“We certainly had a lot of parish meetings, my predecessor Jackie was instrumental in keeping feet to the fire.

“We’ve been talking about things since 2007, these things don’t just happen overnight.”

“The village is grateful to have got to this point.”