Bewdley residents given chance to learn more about town's new flood defences

Environment Agency staff were on hand at St George's Hall on Tuesday to explain about the Beales Corner Flood Risk Management Scheme.

Beales Corner has a long history of being flooded by the River Severn, with homes and businesses flooded in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

Planning permission for the scheme was granted earlier in the year and work on the scheme is starting this summer. When complete it will help to better protect homes and businesses when the River Severn floods.

Anthony Perry, Environment Agency operations manager for the West Midlands, said: “The project is a much-needed flood risk management scheme for Beales Corner. Flooding can be devastating, and this scheme will help to significantly reduce the risk of flooding to the town.”

Preparation work has already begun on the scheme, with vegetation removed along the waterfront on Beales Corner in February. This took place before bird nesting season and the Environment Agency will undertake off-site tree planting, enhance woodland areas and improve areas of grassland to compensate for vegetation loss and achieve a significant biodiversity net gain for the project.

Since then topographical surveys along the riverbank have been carried out and utilities companies also surveyed to prepare for utility diversions. Other work includes a bathymetric survey to measure the depth and map the underwater features of the river to support the design of the scheme.

Construction work on the scheme is expected to start this summer and will take approximately 18 months to two years to complete.

In 2021 the Government announced £6.2m funding towards the flood risk management in Bewdley.

The design aims for this scheme are to reduce flood risk to people, properties, businesses, and highways resulting from overtopping of the River Severn, deliver a flood risk management scheme that is supported by the local community, integrate with and where possible enhance the natural environment, biodiversity and heritage value of the area and design and develop a scheme which has minimal operational and maintenance requirements.

An Environment Agency spokesman said: "This will provide the same standard of protection as provided by the Severnside flood defence on the right bank. Ensure the bridge remains open during flooding, benefitting the entire community of Bewdley.

"We aim to make best possible use of the public money available and seek to maximise funding available through working in partnership. The primary purpose of the scheme is to reduce the flood risk from the River Severn. Although it is not focussed on flood risk from drainage issues, we are working with Severn Trent Water and the local authorities to review these.

"The public engagement meeting in early summer will focus on the construction phase of the scheme, outlining what the construction program is likely to be as well as the levels of disturbance to the town.

"It is inevitable that there will be a need for temporary site and clearance works to allow the contractors to work safely. There is also likely to be road closures and traffic control. We wanted to use this session to talk through details of any disturbance during construction and can assure you that we will be keeping this as low as we can."