HUNDREDS of houses will be protected from the threat of flooding after a project was completed.
The alleviation project at Tull Way in Thatcham will protect 279 properties in an effort to avoid a repeat of the disastrous scenes of 2007.
The Environment Agency (EA)provided a grant to support West Berkshire Council's funding for the scheme and Thatcham Flood Forum supplied a further £122,000 in funding.
Iain Dunn, from Thatcham Flood Forum, said: “We are very pleased that the Tull Way Scheme is complete.
"We are extremely grateful to all the local organisations and individuals who raised the £122,000 as without these important local funds, we simply would not have the £4 million so desperately needed to complete Thatcham’s flood protection scheme by late 2018.
"The response from local businesses was overwhelming. The wonderful support of those donors demonstrated the broad community support the EA needed to consider funding completion of the town's major flood defences.
"I would like to acknowledge the generosity of Greenham Common Trust, Berkshire Community Foundation and Scottish and Southern Electric Power Distribution who together, were responsible for £80k of the total funding.
"This is a phenomenal contribution which provided the impetus for the application to the EA.”
The project, which started in May, was a follow up to the success of the Surface Water Management Plan for Thatcham.
A large embankment has been created at Tull Way to store floodwater and Thatcham's overall flood protection efforts will cost roughly £4 million.
Jeanette Clifford, West Berkshire’s executive member for highways and Transport said: “We are delighted this important flood defence scheme for Thatcham is now complete.
"A great deal has been achieved in Thatcham since the terrible floods in 2007 and we have worked tirelessly with our partners to provide the best possible protection against future floods.
"We completed the first reservoir at Cold Ash Hill in 2014 and two further schemes at Dunston Park and South East Thatcham are planned for next year.
"Subject to grant funding, we will continue to implement one scheme a year until all the proposed flood defences are in place.”
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