THE first trench for a £6 million flood prevention scheme has been dug today (Tuesday, May 10) for a year-long project to protect the A1 and outlying villages.

A new storage reservoir is to be built upstream of Catterick Village, between Brough Park and the A1, and will be able to hold 91 million gallons of water.

In the event of a storm it would hold back water which would overwhelm Brough Beck and put the village and surrounding area at major risk of flood.

Mark Scott, area manager for the Environment Agency, and Vanessa Gilbert, regional director Yorkshire and North East for Highways England, teamed up to dig the first trench of the scheme before mechanical excavators take over.

The project has been jointly funded by the Environment Agency, Highways England and North Yorkshire County Council and will take a year to complete.

The main works will comprise two large earth embankments up to six metres high, diversion of Brough Beck and the construction of a new flow control structure. Landscaping will also be undertaken which will include tree planting, reinstatement of hedgerows and the creation of a wetland pond.

Phil Boyes, Environment Agency project manager for the scheme, said: “When completed, the storage reservoir will hold flood water back so it flows more slowly down Brough Beck towards Catterick Village and the new section of the A1.

“This will significantly reduce flood risk in the area. We have also undertaken detailed ecological surveys to ensure that the impact on local wildlife is minimised and we will be installing bird and owl boxes as part of the site accommodation works.”