Work on a £6 million flood prevention scheme for Chester-le-Street is scheduled to start later this month, following the confirmation of funding, Durham County Council said in its latest release.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has approved £2.79 million in funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for the project.
“We had already committed up to £1.5 million to the scheme, with the remainder of the cash coming from the Environment Agency, which is contributing £1.9 million ,” the council stated.
“The money will allow us to open up a 90m stretch of the Cong Burn, which runs underneath the town’s Market Place. As well as reducing the risk of flooding, it is hoped that the move, which will see the watercourse transformed into an attractive landscape, will provide an economic boost to the town.”
Chester-le-Street has a history of flooding and was particularly badly affected by a severe storm in June 2012.