Efforts to better protect Newbury from the risk of flooding have been given a boost after Sovereign Housing Association pledged £20,000 to the Newbury Flood Alleviation Scheme.
The £1.536 million scheme, which is being undertaken by the Environment Agency and West Berkshire Council, has secured funding from Central Government, West Berkshire Council and Newbury Town Council. Local businesses are being urged to support the scheme.
“As a major employer in the town and as a landlord with a number of properties that are at risk from flooding, we felt it was very important to support these efforts as a way of demonstrating our commitment to our residents and to Newbury,” said Sovereign’s regional director for Berkshire, Jim Holah.
“If a flood were to occur, it would represent a considerable cost to our business, both in terms of the impact on residents and property and the ability of staff to do their jobs. Our view is that an outlay of £20,000 constitutes a very cost-effective prevention measure to protect our homes, our residents and significant areas of the town. The implications of not carrying out this work could be catastrophic.”
Notes to Editors
- Sovereign Housing Association is a charitable body. It comprises Sovereign South+West, Sovereign Twynham, Sovereign Kingfisher and Sovereign Vale, which were merged into a single legal entity in October 2011. Sovereign Housing Association includes the non-charitable Sovereign Living Limited. Sovereign is one of the largest providers of affordable housing in the south and south-west of England. It owns or manages more than 33,000 properties, offering a variety of tenures.
- If you would like more information, please contact Roy Probert, Public Relations Manager for Sovereign, on 01635 277406 or 07827 356479, or email roy.probert@sovereign.org.uk
