£10M flood storage basin for Salford

A £10M flood prevention scheme has been opened in Salford, coinciding with World Wetlands Day.

The new flood defence includes an urban wetland and is designed to help protect 2,000 properties from flooding.

The Salford Flood Improvement Scheme delivers a long-held vision to create a flood storage basin in Salford, reducing the risk of flooding from the River Irwell. The scheme also allows local wildlife populations to take advantage of the development, by including a high quality urban wetland habitat.

Wetlands provide many benefits to society and help us to be more resilient to the effects of our changing climate. They provide multiple benefits such as slowing the flow of water, reducing flood risk, filtering water and capturing carbon. Their importance is increasing as a result of climate and land use change

The Salford scheme can hold more than 250 Olympic-sized swimming pools of water during a flood and includes more than five hectares of urban wetland habitat. The scheme protects homes and businesses across Lower Broughton and Lower Kersal, which were badly affected by the devastating floods that struck the city on Boxing Day in 2015.

Emma Howard Boyd, Chair of the Environment Agency, said: “The £10M Salford flood scheme will reduce flood risk to almost 2,000 homes and businesses. In addition, we have created more than five hectares of urban wetland, bringing attractive landscapes for people and wildlife.

“People in the area can also enjoy a new footpath around the site and links to existing footpaths that now provide a green route to and from the centre of Manchester. This excellent partnership project is a fine example of the multiple benefits our work brings to the local community.”

Floods Minister Thérèse Coffey said: “How fitting that on World Wetlands Day a new scheme in Salford is opening that will reduce flood risk to thousands of homes and businesses and deliver a lasting legacy for wildlife in this area with five hectares of new urban wetland habitat.

“I am pleased the government has been able to support this scheme as part of the £39.5M we are investing in Greater Manchester by 2021.”

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