The £10 Million Flood Defence Giant Protecting Formby and 9,000 Properties Gets £512,000 Boost

A recent flood warning across Sefton Central was a timely reminder of just how important the network of rivers, drains and pumping stations surrounding Formby is, particularly during periods of prolonged heavy rain and high tides.

Bill Esterson MP’s team has highlighted £512,000 of Government funding awarded earlier this year to the Environment Agency for Altmouth Pumping Station, a major piece of flood defence infrastructure that helps protect thousands of properties across our area.

For many residents, however, there can be some confusion over exactly which pumping station this is and where it is located.

Altmouth or Altcar Pumping Station?

Altmouth Pumping Station is situated at the mouth of the River Alt in the Hightown and Altcar area, within Altcar Training Camp.

It should not be confused with Altcar Pumping Station, which is a separate satellite pumping station forming part of the same wider drainage network.

The Environment Agency operates several satellite pumping stations across the area, including Altcar, Ince Blundell, Hey Cop, New Cut and Fine Jane. These help move water from particularly low lying land into the main drainage system.

Altmouth is the major pumping station at the end of the River Alt system, where water ultimately needs to reach the sea.

Why is it so important to Formby?

Formby and much of the surrounding countryside sit within an exceptionally low lying landscape. This means our area relies heavily on an extensive network of rivers, drainage channels and pumping stations to manage water levels and reduce the risk of flooding.

The River Alt begins around Huyton and travels for approximately 30 miles before reaching its estuary near Hightown.

When tidal conditions allow, water can drain naturally towards the sea. However, when high tides prevent this natural flow, Altmouth Pumping Station can pump water out, helping to control levels in the River Alt and the wider drainage network.

This is particularly important for Formby because maintaining lower levels in the River Alt allows the drainage network serving our area to continue discharging water.

The station helps protect more than 9,000 properties across approximately 20 square miles, reducing flood risk for communities including Formby, Hightown, Ince Blundell, Lunt and Maghull.

More than 50 years of flood protection

The history of Altmouth Pumping Station stretches back more than half a century and shows just how important managing water has been to this part of Sefton for generations.

Altmouth Pumping Station

Following serious flooding during the 1950s, Altmouth Pumping Station was constructed in 1972. At the time, it was reported to be the largest pumping station of its type in Europe.

Decades later, the station underwent a huge £10.7 million refurbishment to ensure it could continue performing its vital role.

The major project replaced ageing pumping equipment and modernised the station, including replacing the original diesel powered system with modern electric pumping equipment.

The scale of that £10.7 million investment demonstrates just how significant Altmouth Pumping Station is to flood protection across the wider area.

Despite performing such an important job for more than 50 years, it remains a piece of infrastructure that many people in Formby will rarely see and may not even realise is there.

A further £512,000 Government investment

The Government recognised the continuing importance of Altmouth earlier this year with £512,000 in funding awarded to the Environment Agency.

The grant will help maintain this critical flood defence infrastructure.

The Environment Agency has been carrying out inspections of the pumping station bridge and developing designs for remedial works intended to keep the station operating effectively for the long term.

Those works are currently expected to begin next year.

Every period of prolonged rainfall and every flood warning is a reminder of just how important this largely unseen network is.

While most people in Formby may never visit Altmouth Pumping Station, when heavy rain combines with high tides it forms an important part of the system working behind the scenes to move water away from our communities and safely towards the sea.

From its construction following serious flooding in the 1950s, to the £10.7 million modernisation and now the latest £512,000 investment, Altmouth Pumping Station has played an important role in protecting this part of Sefton for more than half a century.

Maintaining Altmouth and the wider River Alt drainage network remains vital to protecting homes, businesses, farmland and communities across Formby and Sefton Central for generations to come.