VOLUNTEERS are being sought to provide Barnard Castle’s first line of defence against the dangers of flooding.
A fledgling flood group for the town has been established by the Environment Agency and officials took a pitch at the weekly market in an effort to recruit more members to it.
On display were maps showing flood risks in and around Barnard Castle, from down by the river to the town centre, which is prone to problems during periods of heavy rain. Jamie Grant, flood resilience community engagement officer with the Environment Agency, said a volunteer lead flood warden for Barney had already signed up and more people were needed.
“They would be part of a group and we would put together a flood plan of what residents and businesses can do before, during and after a period of flooding,” she said.
Ms Grant said this covered everything from reporting issues related to flooding, signing up to flood warning services and offering advice on property resilience measures.
“The Barnard castle group is in its early stages, but we have got a lead warden signed up. We are trying to generate interest – people can be as involved as much as they want.”
“Residents might not want to be part of a group, but we can give advice on a personal property plan.”
Ms Grant said work currently being carried out by the Environment Agency is an investigation into the state of the drains in Barney.
Once fully established, the Barnard Castle flood group would be part of a network stretching from Northumberland to Cleveland.
Anyone interested in joining the Barney flood group or who would like more information can contact the Environment Agency flood resilience team by email at engagement_northeast@environment-agency.gov.uk.
