A joint venture (JV) between BAM Nuttall and Mott MacDonald has started work on a £11 million flood alleviation project in Teesside.

The scheme aims to reduce the risk of flooding from both the River Tees and Greatham Creek at Port Clarence, protecting 350 homes and 32 businesses.

Contractors BMMJV have already completed phase one of the scheme, which saw £4.5m worth of new flood defences built at Port Clarence to reduce flood risk from the River Tees. Features included a mixture of earth embankments, flood walls, and a raised section of the road on the approach to the Transporter Bridge. In addition, the Environment Agency (EA) worked together with Wilton Engineering to install removable steel flood defences along the River Tees to improve flood protection.

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Phase two will see the EA raise existing flood embankments along Greatham Creek, to reduce the flood risk to Port Clarence and land which is south of the Creek.

There will also be a managed realignment of part of the current flood defences. This involves a new embankment to the north of RSPB Saltholme Nature Reserve will be built around a larger area of land, and then the existing flood embankment will be breached.

Overall, this will results in around 30 hectares of intertidal habitat being created to the north of the nature reserve. Phase 2 is expected to be complete by the end of 2018.

The EA's Senior Advisor on the scheme, Phil Marshall, said: "By working together with local industry we're vastly improving existing defences to protect residents and businesses and reduce the risk of flooding now and into the future as sea levels start to rise.

"It's a great example of how we're working closely with partners, businesses and communities to create long-term, sustainable solutions to flooding while also making enhancements to the environment."

Image: (L) Daren Smith, SABIC site director, and (R) Phil Marshall, Environment Agency Senior Advisor.

(LM)