SEVERAL flood barriers are set to be put to the test in Northwich this weekend ahead of the winter.

The selection of temporary and permanent barriers, which would be deployed in emergencies, will be tested by The Environment Agency in a large scale exercise.

One hundred metres of temporary defences will be erected and 14 flood gates closed when the exercise gets underway at 8pm on Sunday, November 7.

It will begin with the closing of floodgates at Waitrose and the Dane Street Bridge, as well as setting up temporary flood defences outside of Wildwood and the cinema. As part of this phase, the far end of London Road will also be closed and a viable alternative route provided.

Temporary defences are made of lightweight aluminium and can be erected in around 45 minutes in the event of a flood alert or warning.

At Dane Bridge, two layers of barrier act as a channel to keep water within the River Dane, preventing it from spilling over towards London Road or Watling Street.

The floodgates are closed in minutes and create a seal to protect the town from floodwater.

Since its launch in June 2018, the £7 million flood alleviation scheme, which reduces the flood risk to around 400 homes and businesses throughout the town, has been tested and maintained on regular basis. This latest exercise is part of a series of training drills being carried out by the Environment Agency in the run-up to winter.

Ollie Hope Environment Agency Flood and Coastal Risk Manager for Cheshire and Merseyside said: "We hope that the £7m Northwich flood risk management scheme won’t be needed this winter but our teams are well-prepared for whatever the elements may have in store.

"Alongside our partners, we are ready to take action wherever it is needed.

"We train all year round to make sure we are equipped to respond to incidents, but at this time of year with an increase in flood risk it’s vital we make sure we are prepared.

"I hope such emergency response plans will give reassurance to residents in Northwich but, it is important to remember that we can never fully protect against flooding."

Karen Shore, Deputy Leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council and Cabinet Member - Environment, Highways & Strategic Transport, said: "Northwich and many areas of our borough suffered badly from flooding last winter and we want to ensure these events are not repeated.

"We have been working with partners including the Environment Agency throughout the year to prevent a repeat of further flooding damage occurring to homes and businesses.

"Our teams are supporting the Environment Agency’s important and large-scale exercise this weekend to test temporary and permanent flood barriers, which would be deployed in emergencies.

"It is vital that all agencies are able to act swiftly to protect residents in the event of a flood in the future and testing such as this will help teams be well prepared for the future."