09/06/2005 - The Environment
Agency has bought the redundant Dock Branch
Railway Sidings at Port Ham, Alney Island,
Gloucester as part of our programme to minimise
the impact of flooding on the city.
We have bought a section of the embankment,
from its former owners, Network Rail. The
Sidings and other stretches of track run on
this embankment. This is a major obstruction
to the flow of flood water on this important
area of floodplain in Gloucester.
We will now remove part of the embankment
to aid the flow of flood water from the East
Channel to the West Channel of the River Severn
and away from the city.
A major flood can affect hundreds of properties
in the Gloucester area, although more frequent
flooding affects a smaller number. Many properties
in the area were flooded during December 2000.
Computer modelling indicates that partial
removal of the embankment will lower flood
levels and reduce the risk of flooding to
properties in the Alney Island, Longford,
Kingsholm and City areas of Gloucester without
causing any significant detriment elsewhere.
Removal will be of most benefit to the community
of Pool Meadow, who are affected by frequent
river flooding and will also contribute to
the restoration of wet grazing marsh and wet
woodland habitats, both of which are county
and UK Biodiversity Action Plan targets.
The embankment is one of a number of historical
obstructions that have been built across Alney
Island over the decades, and its removal will
be a step forward in reversing this trend
and returning the area back to functioning
floodplain.
Lower Severn Area Flood Defence Manager,
Anthony Perry, says: ‘We are delighted with
this purchase. Our priority now is to pursue
the removal of those areas of embankment which
when lowered to floodplain level will provide
the most improvement to flood flow. We hope
to achieve this within the next five years.
'This will significantly lower the risk of
flooding to properties in the Gloucester area
and alleviate the misery this causes to the
community. We would particularly like to thank
Gloucester City Council and Gloucestershire
County Council for their help in this purchase
which they have given in support of the residents
of Gloucester.’
The £210,000 purchase was funded by
the Regional Flood Defence Committee, in recognition
of the benefits that its removal will have
for alleviating flood risk in the city. The
money is raised through a levy on local authorities
and is local money being spent to benefit
local communities.
This is the latest in a number of initiatives
to lower future flood levels on Alney Island.
Gloucestershire County Council have already
removed a sizeable portion of the railway
to the south of the sidings, as mitigation
for floodplain loss in connection with the
construction of the South West Bypass. Works
we have carried out have included the lowering
of a river bank on the East Channel and the
removal of a number of historic heaps of river
dredgings which had previously restricted
flood flow.
In concert with these works on Alney island,
we are currently undertaking a review of flooding
and flood risk management for the River Severn
in the wider Gloucester area. This 'Gloucester
Study' is programmed for completion later
in the year, and has already highlighted that
the removal of the redundant Dock Branch Railway
is a suitable method of reducing flood risk
for the city.
Alney Island resident Ray Armishaw, who runs
the Gloucester Flood Action Group, says: ‘
I am very pleased that this is about to be
realised. I am happy that my original suggestion
made some years ago to the Environment Agency
has come to fruition to help reduce the pressure
of the floodwaters from the east channel,
and create a new flood route to the west channel.
I really must congratulate all concerned in
securing this piece of bank for removal.
