GRAVEL in the River South Tyne at Haydon Bridge could finally be removed within the next month.

Local councillors have orchestrated a scheme to remove 6,000 tonnes of stone from the water course in a bid to reduce the risk of flooding in the village, which was devastated by Storm Desmond in December, 2015.

Haydon Parish Council said it had been given the go-ahead to carry out the work, after receiving a permit from the Environment Agency, as well as planning permission from Northumberland County Council.

The parish council is now set to appoint earthworks specialists Thompsons of Prudhoe to carry out the scheme, which has been in the pipeline for over a year.

The parish council originally hoped to remove the gravel last autumn, but the project was delayed when it was discovered that planning permission was required. Other complicating matters have included a requirement to check for ground nesting birds and the £100 purchase of netting equipment to ensure the work does not interfere with fish in the river.

Coun. David Robson said: “This scheme has taken a long time to come to fruition because there have been so many bureaucratic issues.

“However, we have crossed all of those hurdles and everything is in place now for the work to go ahead within the next month.

“Now that we have got permission to do the work, we need to arrange a time when Thompsons can get on site.

“They have been very supportive of the scheme because they know how much it means to the people of the village to get these mounds of gravel removed from the river here.”

Despite issuing a permit, the Environment Agency stood by its earlier statement that the work is not essential, and that the gravel does not increase flood risk.