Plans to extend Kendal flood banks granted for improved river defences

An extension to flood banks has been granted after it was found an area of the river does not have ‘sufficient’ defences.

The Kendal Flood Risk Management Scheme has seen years of work and millions of pounds to protect more than 4,000 homes and businesses in the town and its surrounding area.

It was launched in response to the devastating damage Storm Desmond caused to Kendal in 2015, with the river having also burst its banks since.

But a weakness has been found where the River Kent and Young Spring converge near Helsington Mills to the south of Kendal.

Plans were submitted to the council in December to ‘modify and extend’ the embankments in that location.

An officer’s report on the proposals reads: “We are now told that ‘additional evidence and data gathered has shown that the design at Reach L does not have sufficient capacity during a flood event potentially resulting in overtopping of the banks at Young Spring’, a minor watercourse that merges with the River Kent south of Helsington Mills.”

It adds that, outside the ‘main urban area’ of Kendal, ‘high rainfall, thin soils and impermeable geology’ produce large amounts of run-off.

The works would involve raising the existing embankment by 0.5m and extending the raised embankment further west at the same height ‘until it ties into higher ground’, which the report says would be to deflect any overland flows back into Young Spring.

It would also see the installation of a pressure relief drain, a temporary access track for construction, and landscaping.

Concluding, the officer weighed up the ‘adverse impact’ on the landscape and the nearby Grade II listed Helsington Mills, but found that the setting of the buildings would not be affected and recognised the importance of the works.

The planner recommended it for approval, which the council granted on May 15.

This comes after the Waterside section of the flood defences in the town have been completed, and were unveiled in March.

It aims to protect businesses and homes from future flooding, and sees innovative self-cleaning glass panels installed as part of the main flood wall.