THE first phase of a multi-million-pound flood alleviation scheme in Buckskin is a step closer.

Hampshire County Council has awarded Mildren Construction Ltd the contract for the first phase of the scheme.

As previously reported by The Gazette, areas of Buckskin suffered the most extensive property flooding in Hampshire after intensive and prolonged rainfall during the winter of 2013/14.

After much consultation and multi-agency group work, plans were drawn up for the £6.24 million engineering project to ensure there is no such impact on the ward in the future.

With the work set to get underway in September, the project will be delivered in two phases, phase one comprises of improvements to ditches and upgrades to culverts along Churchill Way West and Worting Road, and improvements of ditches in Saunders Field to improve drainage of floodwater between Buckskin and the start of the River Loddon.

Cathie Wyatt, chair of the Buckskin Flood Action Group, said: “It is fantastic to see this finally happening. The community will see work being done, and people will feel reassured.

“It’s such a relief after the flooding four years ago. I’m only sorry that Cllr Nigel Pierce, who did so much to help us get to this point, isn’t here to see it.”

The county council is contributing £2.04 million toward the project, with £1.75 million coming from the Government’s Flood Defence Grant in Aid, £2.2 million from the Thames Regional Flood and Coastal Committee Local Levy, and £250,000 from Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.

In the years since the flood, the county council has taken steps with a multi agency group to carry out a programme of maintenance improvements while working on the design a major flood mitigation scheme.

Councillor Rob Humby, executive member for environment and transport at the county council, said: “A great deal of collaborative work has been done by all the organisations involved since the winter of 2014, while a permanent scheme has been designed and funding secured for it, from clearing drains and ditches to setting up a local flood action group in the community.

“We now have everything in place to start major engineering work designed to reduce the impact of flooding to properties in the future.”

Cabinet member for communities and community safety at BDBC, Councillor Simon Bound, added: “It is great to see construction starting. Our councillors and council officers have been supporting the work that the county council has been doing, as lead local flood authority.

“I would especially like to acknowledge the input of the ward councillors, including our late colleague Cllr Nigel Pierce, Cllr Tony Jones and, more recently, Cllr Stephanie Grant.”