GROUNDWORK will start in 2018 on the £24.3 million flood defence scheme to protect homes and businesses along the River Kent, the Environment Agency told the Gazette this week.

Celia McNally, catchment director for the Kent and Leven rivers, says Kendal is "a safer place" than a year ago when Storm Desmond unleashed record rainfall - effectively covering the entire county of Cumbria in "a blanket of six inches of water" and flooding 2,008 South Lakeland homes and 350 businesses.

The agency is "very mindful" that many people will feel anxious and vulnerable until the complex scheme is built, said Mrs McNally.

But she said the major works done to repair every embankment, wall and culvert damaged by last year's storm - plus measures like resilience work to properties, creating new flood warning areas and dredging 14,000 tonnes gravel from the Kent - meant Kendal was better safeguarded against floods than 12 months ago.

"We've done everything we can physically do but we understand we've got to rebuild relationships, trust and hope. They are very real things to people," said Mrs McNally.

"I think Kendal is a safer place because there's more knowledge, there's more information, there's more planning; and it will be a safer place in future as we work with the community to establish improved flood-risk reduction.

"I really understand the anxieties. It's hard for people to appreciate how many wheels are spinning and we still just need to keep working on that. Physical work is always the thing that convinces people more."

Lib Dem leader Tim Farron, MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, has made repeated calls for the new flood defences to be built "without delay" for the peace of mind of Kendal, Burneside and Staveley residents who "live in fear of flooding every time there is a downpour".

Speaking from Westminster this week, he told the Gazette: "The good news is, the scheme to flood-proof the community and provide immensely improved defences along the Kent is going ahead and making real progress.

"The plan is to be released in the new year. I sat down with the Environment Agency a fortnight ago and it's looking very good."

Kent catchment director Mrs McNally said the project design involved a huge amount of work and expertise from across the country. Scientific models are being used to test the best locations for new 'hard' flood defences, which may include walls, culverts and underground storage basins, as well as changes to the river's alignment.

"We've got to weave this in to what is already a very densely developed waterside," she said. "One of the difficulties is that people will be anxious and will say, why can't you build faster? But what we don't want to do is build the wrong thing because some people would be worse off.

"So we are absolutely going as fast as we can to really ensure that we build something that is going to be as effective as it can be."

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She estimated the £24.3m scheme could take between 12 months and two-and-a-half years to build, possibly in phases to minimise disruption. "2018 is when we will put a spade in the ground. We are making every effort and pursuing every opportunity to accelerate that."

In the meantime, Mrs McNally added: "We are very mindful that as winter approaches people will be anxious about their vulnerability, but we are working very closely with residents and flood action groups to be prepared and to respond and recover, should the worst happen."

She said the agency has looked at where temporary pumps and defences would make a difference, and there was now "a much better response network in place" between authorities and communities. She also urged people to be as prepared as possible by:

- making full use of the £5k flood resilience grants to protect their properties

- signing up for flood warnings by calling the Floodline on 0345-988-1188

- contacting their local flood action group

- and visiting www.gov.uk/flood for up-to-date flood warnings, river levels, five-day flood forecasts and advice on making your home more resilient.

"My message to Kendal would be, we've been working closely with all our partners including Cumbria County Council, South Lakeland District Council and Kendal Town Council, as well as community action groups, to put in place appropriate measures for this winter, so that we are in the best place possible to respond," said Mrs McNally.

She added: "Even with the new defences we can't entirely remove that risk but we want to offer that reassurance that we are doing everything we can."