The proposed schemes on these pages are currently still in the appraisal stage meaning funding has not been secured. There is therefore no guarantee that these schemes will secure funding and progress to a completed flood scheme. For more information on how Flood Risk Management Schemes are funded and delivered, please visit our dedicated page here.
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In 2013 the Environment Agency completed the construction of the Cockermouth Flood Risk Management Scheme (FRMS) which included embankments, wall defences, floodgates and raising of existing defences. This £4.4 million scheme complemented existing flood defences on the River Derwent and the River Cocker, built in 1999.
The most recent high flow event experienced on the River Cocker in Winter 2021 caused structural damage to several of the third-party flood defences which protect Cockermouth Town Centre. As a result, the Environment Agency had to put temporary defences in place, which were a short-term solution to the immediate problem.
This project aims to permanently repair the damage to the third-party flood defences so that they can continue to protect homes and businesses into the future. The scheme will not increase the height of these defences but will reinstate the original 100-year life span (from the 2013 scheme) of the existing flood defences.
The Environment Agency expect the repairs to be completed by Summer 2026, which takes into account the design phase and the planning application process, if required.
