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HomeFirst Minister of Wales visits Northern Gateway Flood Defence Strengthening Scheme.

First Minister of Wales visits Northern Gateway Flood Defence Strengthening Scheme.

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The First Minister of Wales, Rt. Hon Carwyn Jones, has today (5th February) visited the Northern Gateway Flood Defence Strengthening Scheme, in Deeside, as part of his commitment to kick-start the development of the largest strategic employment site in North Wales.

On visiting the site, the First Minister was given a tour of the current flood prevention works and a sheet piling demonstration, using a hydraulic piling press technique.

The visit was also used to announce that the Welsh Government is to fund and construct the main highway across the 420 acre Northern Gateway site on Deeside Enterprise Zone. This is in addition to the £2.2m which the Welsh Government is currently spending on flood improvement works on this section of river bank, which runs along the southern boundary of the site.

VolkerStevin was appointed to deliver the flood defence strengthening works in October 2014. The scheme, which will assist in the delivery of the £Multi-million Northern Gateway project, is broken down into three packages and involves strengthening and reinforcing the existing flood defences along the banks of the river Dee. VolkerStevin, working with subsidiary company VolkerGround Engineering, is installing 1.5km of sheet pile wall along a length of the existing embankment, using the hydraulic piling press technique to minimise noise and vibration impact on migrating fish in the river Dee and resident wildlife within the embankment.

VolkerStevin will also reinstate the bank’s to the intended standard of protection and raise its height to a defined level wherever the crest of the defence is low. This will also assist in protecting residential and business properties at nearby Garden City and the ‘John Summers’ building; a red brick Grade II listed office building which overlooks the river and is associated with the towns former iron works.

Mark Gardner, operations director at VolkerStevin, commented: “Having our site visited by the First Minister is a great honour. After recently completing two major projects of coastal defence works at nearby Colwyn Bay, we are delighted to continue our involvement in the improvement of flood defences in this part of North Wales.”

Work is expected to be completed by June 2015.

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