The Environment Agency is preparing to begin work on a £1.8 million flood embankment scheme. It will protect homes and businesses in the historical Worcestershire village of Severn Stoke.
The flood mitigation embankment scheme will provide protection from the devastating impact of flooding to 18 homes and businesses. This includes the Grade II listed, 14th century St Deny’s Church, the 500-year-old Rose and Crown pub and the village hall.
The scheme is being developed in partnership with Worcestershire County Council and Malvern Hills District Council.
Planning permission for the scheme has now been granted and materials are being moved onto site where they will be stored over the winter before work starts in the spring. The first delivery will see reused material from the southern link road in Worcester that would otherwise have gone to landfill.
The work will also include environmental enhancements including a tree replacement scheme. This will increase both the number and diversity of tree species. It will also incorporate a pollinator corridor along the ‘dry side’ of the embankment and place bird and bat boxes throughout the scheme area.
Marc Lidderth, Environment Agency place manager for Shropshire and Worcestershire, said:
“The community of Severn Stoke has suffered from significant flooding from the River Severn, most notably in 2007, 2012, February 2020 and again this year. This scheme is part of the Environment Agency’s investment in flood protection for the area and we are pleased to be able to begin work on it in early 2023.”
Worcestershire County Council cabinet member, with responsibility for the environment, Richard Morris said:
“I am delighted that the county council has been able to support this important milestone in construction of the Environment Agency’s flood alleviation scheme in Severn Stoke. This vital scheme will protect residential and business properties in the village which have endured the devastating impact of flooding for years.
“Seeing work happening on the ground will hopefully give reassurance to the community of Severn Stoke that it will have measures in place to protect it and prevent a repeat of the damage caused by the impact of flooding events. Delivering this scheme is a high priority for Worcestershire County Council and I’m pleased that we are able to strongly support the Environment Agency and the community in doing so.”
David Harrison, portfolio holder for Planning, Infrastructure and Flooding at Malvern Hills District Council, said:
“We are very pleased at the progress of the Severn Stoke flood alleviation scheme which has come a long way since it was brought to a public meeting at Severn Stoke Parish Hall in 2014.
“We are proud to support this project, as well as to assist with funding supplied from the council’s Priority Reserve Fund. Thanks to the ongoing effort of everyone involved, the project will enter the next stage. It will see the material moved to the village over the next few weeks ready for the construction of the flood embankment next year. This an important next step in protecting the village and its community.”
