PLANS to tackle flooding in the centre of Lanchester have been revealed to residents.

It involves installing three ‘channel drains’, a bit like cattle grids, at strategic locations to allow large amounts of water during heavy rainfall to clear quickly.

A study over the last year found there was ample room in the culvert beneath the road, but the existing drains were unable to cope with the volume during deluges.

Details of the £250,000 project, due to start later this year or early next, were unveiled at a roadshow event on Front Street on Tuesday.

Brian Weatherall, from senior drainage engineer, from Durham County Council, which is leading the scheme, said: “The drainage in Front Street is struggling to cope with the water coming from up the hills, so there are few places we can intercept that and get it into the culvert that runs underneath to protect people from flooding.”

The council has been working with Northumbrian Water and the Environment Agency on the project, along with a specialist consultant, Mott McDonald and Bentley.

A 45-metre long strip of channel drain, half a metre wide, is to be installed on Front Street, beside the grass verge, near Crinnions.

It will be connected to the existing culvert with a new 14-metre drainage pipe.

Two other half metre wide channel drains are to be installed across Newbiggin Lane, one near the junction of Front Street and the other further up.

The work is expected to take six to ten weeks and will require the partial closure of Front Street for some of the time with temporary traffic lights in place.

It will be funded with a grant through Environment Agency and the council.

David Gardiner, 67, who has lived in the village for 40 years, said: “It is joined up thinking for the first time in a number of years. It is looking like it will work.”