SEWERAGE works in Chester-le-Street town centre might inconvenience people, but are preferable to residents being flooded out, the chairman of the town's Residents Association has said.

Phase two of the £2.7m Northumbrian Water scheme, which started last summer, will see new sewer pipes built between Front Street and Riverside Park.

It is part of a wider scheme costing £7.9m to help the town, which has suffered from flooding during heavy rain for several years.

The work entails stopping traffic from using parts of Front Street – which is a key bus route – for the next few months. Pedestrian access is unaffected.

The southbound lane between Cone Terrace and Station Road was shut on Monday (January 5) and is due to reopen on Thursday, February 26. Both lanes will be closed for two months from Friday, February 27.

Southbound bus stops in Front Street have been relocated to North Burns in the town’s market place and services heading towards Durham are being diverted around the town centre via The Avenue. Northbound buses are unaffected.

Northumbrian Water project manager Brian Ford said: "This is the latest of the schemes to help protect homes in Chester-le-Street which started in 2009 helping to protect 120 homes at a total cost of £7.9m.

"Reducing the risk of flooding to customers’ homes and businesses is one of our top priorities.”

Derek Briggs, chairman of the Central Residents Association, said the benefits that a better sewerage system would bring would outweigh any inconvenience.

“The water company were going to do it in December, but we asked them to put it off until January because of Christmas festivities and there was no problem whatsoever," he said.

“A lot of people are not happy, but it is better than having bad weather and water pouring down Front Street and flooding people, which is more of a disaster if you are a business or a householder.

“Fingers crossed, this work should alleviate the problem.”

Mr Briggs added that most traffic was prohibited from using a large part of Front Street and that many businesses could take deliveries from the roads at the rear.

“A little bit of inconvenience for all of us is better than what we experienced (in the floods of summer 2012),” he said.

Front Street will be closed from south of Co-Operative Terrace to Station Road between Friday, February 27 and Friday, April 17 and all buses will be diverted via The Avenue. Some side road closures are also planned between now and June.

Bus stop details can be found at www.simplygo.com