The Northumbria Local Resilience Forum (LRF) has added a temporary demountable flood barrier to its emergency plans to protect the Newcastle-Gateshead quayside in Tyne and Wear. The 185-metre aluminium wall is designed for rapid assembly when the River Tyne threatens to overtop riverside walls, helping to prevent the water damage that has affected local shops and pubs in recent years.
The Environment Agency is the lead agency responsible for the barrier’s installation and maintenance, working with Gateshead Council, Newcastle City Council and the Northumbria LRF. The demountable system can be assembled within about 12 hours of a flood alert or deployment trigger. It uses aluminium frames and ‘stop logs’ (aluminium planks) that slot into pre‑installed ground fixings or are weighted to create a watertight seal, protecting low‑lying areas such as St Omer’s Haugh at Dunston and the Lower Derwenthaugh Industrial Estate.
The system has been deployed during high‑tide and surge events in recent years — notably in January 2024, April 2024 and during the winter 2025 season — to prevent tidal surges from spilling over river banks and into Quayside car parks. Gateshead Council and partner agencies continue to use these mobile defences to reduce disruption while larger, permanent projects progress.
According to the Flood Plan Explorer, a permanent flood wall — part of the Newcastle City Centre Flood Risk Area project — is scheduled for completion in 2027. Until that work is finished, the temporary demountable barrier remains the primary operational defence for the area during high tides.
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