New flood protection funding for Ironbridge
Telford & Wrekin Council has been awarded £1.2m funding, over the next three years, to provide flood protection measures to protect some of the business and residential properties most at risk of flooding in Ironbridge Gorge.
The proposed work, which has been approved in principle by the Environment Agency, involves the creation of two new permanent flood defence walls at Dale End and Ladywood, plus a range of flood alleviation measures for some at-risk properties that aren’t already protected by permanent defences. These include options such as additional waterproofing, pumps and flood doors, depending on the property and location.
Councillor Shaun Davies MP, Leader of Telford & Wrekin Council, said: “We have been lobbying the government for additional funding to improve flood defences in Ironbridge since the major floods of 2020 affected so many people living and working in the Gorge and surrounding area.
“Whilst this £1.2m is not an insubstantial amount of money and will help to provide flood protection for some residents and businesses, it’s not enough to provide protection for everyone property in the Gorge, so we will now be consulting with those who are most at-risk, so see how best we can help to protect them from the misery that frequent flooding is causing.”
Councillor Carolyn Healy, Telford & Wrekin Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Action, the Environment, Heritage and Visitor Economy, and also the Ward Member for Ironbridge Gorge, added: “Year-on-year now, residents and businesses in the borough, and particularly those living and working in and around Ironbridge have been at the mercy of the River Severn, with flooding getting more and more frequent. Indeed we have seen only this week confirmation that we’ve just had the second wettest October to March on record.
“The temporary flood barriers do a great job of protecting some homes and businesses in Ironbridge, but many others are left unprotected. We expect this funding to help to provide flood protection to around 40 homes and businesses who are not otherwise protected by existing permanent flood defences, but it won’t provide protection or peace of mind for everyone.
“We’ll be using flood modelling data from the Environment Agency, plus historical flood records, to identify where this money can best be spent, and will be contacting those properties to consult on the most appropriate measures for their location.”
Telford & Wrekin Council will now begin consulting with the businesses and residents involved to agree appropriate flood defence measures and timescales, before seeking appropriate planning and access permissions.
Pic: Telford Live
