WORK on a sewage protection scheme for Dorchester will resume from Monday (8) after being delayed by the lockdown.

The project, on the corner of the Great Field, is designed to protect Dorchester town centre from overflows.

Wessex Water will spend £1.2million on the project which will see a 10-metre long pumped tank constructed underground off St John Way. Once the work is completed the site will be restored with little equipment showing above ground, according to the company.

The giant chamber will be used to hold sewage from the Poundbury development at times of potential overload which could result in flooding further down the system in Dorchester town centre. Its capacity will be automatically monitored and sewage only released into the main network only when it is safe to do so. In the unlikely event of a complete overload tankers could be brought in to pump out the chamber.

Bruce McAuslane from Wessex Water has told residents living near the site in a letter: “The decision (to re-start work) has been based on monitoring of government guidelines with regard to the re-start of construction activities, plus the development of robust working methods taking into account all current guidance and advice.”

The work will take around 15 weeks to complete with most of the work undertaken within the compound which was constructed earlier in the year. Several viewing windows have been cut into the boarding to allow passer-by to take a look at the project as it progresses.

The company say that from mid-August, for around four weeks, there is likely to be some effect on St John Way with traffic management in place at times.