Plans to carry out almost £5m on improvements to a town's drainage system have been welcomed by councillors.

The scheme will see new pipework installed across Thorpe St Andrew over the next two years to prevent localised flooding.

It comes after parts of the town – and other areas around Norwich – suffered flooding following a period of heavy rain last month.

Norfolk County Council said it was to spend about £4.8m on a new drainage system, which will be spread out across four phases.

The first takes place later this month in the Thunder Land and Hillcrest Avenue area, and is expected to take about six months to complete.

Town and county councillor Nigel Shaw said: 'The trouble is there has never been the money for this, but it has now got so bad with flooding around the country that it has woken a lot of people up to the issue. I am very pleased the work is now happening.'

Mr Shaw said other areas to receive improvements include Gordon Avenue, Plumstead Road and Booty Road.

The work is part of a much larger project to improve drainage in and around Norwich. A Norfolk County Council spokesman said: 'The existing surface water discharges into soakaways and boreholes, which no longer work effectively due to their age and condition, which causes localised flooding. The improvements will involve installing a new positive drainage system through large areas of Thorpe St Andrew which will discharge into the River Yare.

'The existing boreholes and soakaways will still be utilised but a pipe will connect from them to the new system, so that once the existing systems become full, the surface water will then discharge into the new drainage system.'

The remaining phases are scheduled to take place from late September through to April next year, and will focus on the north of the town.

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