MOTORISTS will be affected by temporary road closures in Ovingham as work on a flood reduction scheme is set to resume.

Northumbrian Water’s Rainwise initiative aims to help manage surface water within the village to help protect homes against future flooding.

The scheme, which is jointly funded by Northumberland County Council, started in October 2017 in the Dene Close and Piper Road area, where an underground storage tank and additional sewer pipe was installed.

As part of the project, sustainable solutions – grassed landscaped areas that manage rainfall naturally – were also set to be installed.

But towards the end of last year, the work was postponed to avoid damaging the land during the winter months. Work is set to get under way again on Tuesday, August 28.

The work will be carried out in two phases, beginning with a grassed drainage channel and basin to store rainwater temporarily, in the playing field north of Piper Road and Horsley Road.

This is expected to be complete by December 2018.

During the work, temporary road closures will be in place at the junction of Horsley Road with Main Road from Monday, October 29 until Friday, November 2, to enable it to be carried out safely.

Phase two will begin on land north of Dean Garth in spring 2019 and is expected to take up to three months to complete.

It will involve reprofiling the land and constructing a basin to capture excess rainwater flows from farmland during heavy storms.

Project manager, Ian Davison, said: “We’re going back into Ovingham to complete a project of work which will help to protect residents against future flooding.

“While we’re working on the first phase of this work, we appreciate there may be some disruption with temporary road closures, however, we are working with Northumberland County Council and planning these into the October school holidays to try and minimise the disruption.”