Council increases investment in protecting Haringey from flooding

Haringey is taking strong measures to tackle hazardous weather conditions with an investment of £880k to deliver new and maintain existing flood prevention measures across the borough.

The safety of the borough remains the council’s number one priority and is dedicated to doing its upmost to ensure Haringey residents, businesses and wildlife are protected from the dangers of flooding.

In addition to the 21 Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) that have already been installed across Haringey, which use natural solutions to slow down the flow of rainwater, the council is proposing to use part of the £880k investment to deliver a further five drainage schemes.

Included in the plans is the Queen’s Wood Natural Flood Management Project that will help to reduce the potential flood risk for up to 85 properties.

An additional £681k will also be spent on continuing the annual cleansing of all 15,000 gullies across the borough at least once to help prevent surface water flooding, with those in high-risk areas to be maintained more regularly. It will also help the council to repair and replace gullies where needed.

Cllr Seema Chandwani, Cabinet Member for Customer Service, Welfare and The Public Realm, said: “Climate change threat is worrying for us all, affecting us on a very local level, and I would like to assure you that we are doing our upmost to minimise the risk of flooding and are working hard to protect Haringey.

“This new investment will help us to not only continue the vital work we are doing, but to also introduce new and innovative ways to prevent flooding for our residents and local businesses, whilst also enhancing wildlife and biodiversity.

“Residents who have been previously affected by flooding or are within an area highlighted as high-risk can be rest assured that they are our priority, with a number of projects already proposed to address areas of concern. 

“I look forward to seeing these exciting projects come to life over the next 12 months, and I hope residents will see the benefits that our flood prevention schemes bring throughout Haringey.”

The £880k investment will also help deliver additional risk management projects that were recommended in the three investigations the council undertook following the two flooding incidents that took place in July 2021. These projects will help protect the borough from future significant storm events.

The investigations highlighted the importance of the ongoing flood prevention works that are already taking place, including the priority cleaning of gullies in high-risk areas and fitting SuDS in suitable areas.

The reports also called on Thames Water to do its part in protecting the borough by reviewing its own cleaning regimes in high-risk areas and whether its surface water sewers need to be upgraded to withstand larger storm events.