07/03/2006 - On Sunday
19 March 2006, the Stourport Road (A456)
will be closed from 07.30am until late afternoon,
between the road bridge at Beale’s Corner
and Millside Court, Wribbenhall, as the
Environment Agency and its partners carry
out a full test of the new temporary flood
defences. The defences will be used on a
trial basis during the next flood to see
if they will be effective in this location.
We will be working in partnership with local
authorities, Severn Trent Water, the Police
and the Highways Department to erect the
new barriers so that we can ensure that
they will provide the best possible protection
for the local community.
It will also be an opportunity for local
residents to see for themselves what will
happen when a flood is expected.
Flood Operations Manager, Brian Jones,
speaking for the Environment Agency said:
"Together with our professional partners,
Wyre Forest District Council and Severn
Trent Water, we are committed to a trial
of the temporary defences at Wribbenhall
during an actual flood. The exercise on
19 March is to deploy the system to show
residents how it will be used in an actual
flood situation and its implications for
them.
"Although these temporary defences
are not on the scale of the major construction
scheme along Severnside, they proved their
worth against the rising waters of the Severn
at Ironbridge and Worcester in the 2004
floods."
More Information:
TEMPORARY DEFENCES
Recent developments have made temporary
defences, such as the Geodesign barriers
used at Wribbenhall, more effective. These
21stcentury alternatives to the humble sandbag
should not be confused with the demountable
barriers used along Severnside North and
South in Bewdley, which provide a higher
level of protection.
The Swedish designed Geodesign barriers
are designed to be erected along the ground.
Made up from metal frames covered by a waterproof
membrane, they are supported by pumps behind
the defences to deal with surface water
and seepage.
These temporary barriers protect against
a flood with approximately a 10% chance
of happening in any one year, but are not
intended to protect against major flooding.
At Worcester, in February 2004, 24 properties
were protected from flooding for the first
time by the temporary defences on Hylton
Road. The defences also kept the main Hylton
Road at Worcester open for 30 hours longer
than it would have been without them. When
the road eventually did have to close, it
was due to drainage problems, not a failure
of the defences.
At Ironbridge, also in February 2004, more
than 20 properties were saved by this innovative
new approach to flood defence, which was
the first to receive the Kitemark and was
being used in these two towns for the first
time as part of a successful national trial.
We purchased 300m of the Geodesign barrier
last year for Wribbenhall, at a cost of
£130,000 (not including equipment,
e.g. pumps, and construction work). The
barriers are specific to Bewdley. They will
be stored with the Severnside demountable
barriers at Mance House, Kidderminster and
erected if there is a flood warning. This
is made possible by the long lead time to
flooding on the River Severn.
Severn Trent Water has carried out civil
engineering work to seal the sewer system
in readiness for the new flood defences.
