The Environment Agency, in partnership with Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, has started construction of a £13m flood alleviation scheme in Skinningrove, with works due for completion in 2028.

The scheme will deliver a long-term solution to flooding from Skinningrove Beck in the North-east coastal village, protecting more than 100 homes and helping residents who have long faced disruption from the village’s existing flood defences.

Currently, the Environment Agency operates manually controlled flood gates at Stone Row Bridge when high water levels are forecast. Because the beck can rise rapidly and with little warning, these defences must sometimes be operated at very short notice and can remain closed for extended periods - cutting off vehicle access for residents.

Stone Row Bridge, along with its flood gates and parapets, will be demolished and replaced by a new bridge built between New Company Row and Zetland Row, adjacent to the Riverside Building, the village’s former school.

The deck of the new bridge will sit above the height of the existing flood walls, meaning no flood gates will be required. Residents will have uninterrupted 24-hour vehicle access to their homes, regardless of conditions in the beck. Planning permission was granted for the scheme in February 2026.

Andrew Turner, flood risk operations manager from the Environment Agency, said: “Once complete, this scheme will deliver a genuine step-change in flood protection for the community of Skinningrove.

“The new bridge will eliminate the need for manual operation of the flood gates altogether, removing the disruption and uncertainty that comes with the current arrangements.

“It will also sit higher above the watercourse than the existing bridge, which means debris carried down the beck during heavy rainfall is far less likely to cause a blockage - one of the factors that can make flooding in the village worse. This is a long-term solution that will make a real difference to people’s lives.”

Work on the new bridge is scheduled to run from September 2026 to late 2027, with piled foundations and abutments installed on both sides of the beck before a crane lifts the new structure into place near the Riverside Building. A temporary access road will be provided for Grove Hill residents during the construction period.

Demolition of Stone Row Bridge and infilling of the existing flood walls will follow between December 2027 and early 2028.