Truro protected from floods 'for next 30 years'

The new gates were installed in August 2024 using a 400-tonne crane

New flood defence gates to protect 185 properties in Cornwall are "fully operational", the Environment Agency (EA) says.

The EA said the "major infrastructure refurbishment project" would secure the city's flood defences for the next 30 years.

It added that the engineering project, which began in April 2024, involved replacing the existing gates which had "reached the end of their serviceable life".

Operations manager Andrew Houghton said: "This project represents a significant investment in Truro's flood resilience. The barrier and its controls are more reliable, meaning we can ensure effective flood risk management for the community into the future."

'Reliable' flood protection

The EA said the newly-refurbished tidal barrier formed a "critical part of Truro's comprehensive flood risk management system", working alongside the Idless and New Mills dams to reduce risk to commercial and residential properties in the city centre.

It said the new gates themselves were successfully installed in August 2024 using a 400-tonne crane, with work afterwards to make them operational.

Philip Ramsay, an operations director for contractor Kier, said the team was "proud" to have been involved in the refurbishment.

"We've applied innovative techniques and experience from other sectors to make these gates more efficient and reliable," he said.

The EA said the completion of the tidal barrier work was scheduled for the end of October 2025, "marking a significant milestone in protecting Truro from the increasing flood risks posed by climate change".

The EA also said it was enhancing flood protection across Truro through "improvements to the city's reservoir infrastructure".

At Idless Flood Storage Reservoir on the River Allen, vital upgrades to improve the dam's resilience during severe weather were nearing completion, it added.

It said the improvements would ensure the reservoir provided "reliable flood protection when extreme conditions put infrastructure under greatest pressure".

The enhanced system is due to be fully operational by December 2025.