RESIDENTS in Farringdon are to benefit from £300,000 of emergency funding to help combat flooding in their community.

Rob Humby, Hampshire County Council’s executive member for transport and environment, said: “The winter of 2013-14 saw some of the heaviest rainfall in 200 years, resulting in areas of flooding affecting residents across the county, including the A32, which was impassable for around two months.

“While I hope we don’t see such severe weather for many years to come, we have been working hard ever since to secure funding and design schemes to help alleviate such flooding in the future.

“We are working with our partners to put in a series of measures to ensure areas at high risk of flooding are better protected and more resilient.

“I hope that this will reassure residents that the county council is doing all it can to mitigate the impact of future flooding across Hampshire.”

Measures to be carried out in Farringdon include:

* Removing vegetation to ensure flow paths for water are clear

* Surveying and clearing existing ditches, culverts and pipes

* Replacing, upsizing and installing new pipes or culverts (where necessary)

The works will improve the management of surface water and reduce the risk of flooding on the A32. They will be completed in two phases starting this autumn.

The improvements will help to reduce costs, distress and disruption associated with flooding, minimise its impact on the local economy and ensure that the highway network can remain open.

Lower Farringdon has a long history of flooding, primarily from groundwater sources.

In the winter of 2013-14, flood water discharged onto the A32 and flowed towards the Lower Farringdon crossroads. The road was closed for months, causing significant access and travel disruption to residents, businesses and commuters.