Holly
Smith - 13-Sep-2006 - Upton upon Severn’s new
flood barriers will be seen for the first time
on Thursday 28 September 2006 when the Environment
Agency carries out a trial of the new system along
Waterside.
Work with the barriers will
take place throughout the day. Our teams will
begin to erect the barriers at 8.00 am and we
intent to have the barriers down by 6.00 pm. The
trial is being treated as a real event scenario
to identify any unforeseen problems. We hope this
will help us erect the barriers in the most efficient
way in a real flooding event.
On the day the trial will involve
lots of activity, this will include the removal
of vehicles, road closures, transportation of
the defence around the site, erection of the defence
and positioning of the pumps.
To enable the trial to be carried
out safely, the following roads and footpaths
will be closed from 8.00 am until 6.00 pm on 28
September: Dunns Lane, Waterside and Lower High
Street
For safety reasons there will
be some restrictions whilst the barrier is in
use (as there will be during a real flood):
on-street parking will not be
permitted in the Waterside and Dunns Lane areas
vehicles will only be allowed into the Waterside
area in emergencies
there will be no pedestrian access along the whole
length of the defence.
The Geodesign barrier system consists of an A-frame,
overlaid with panels and covered with an impermeable
liner. The system has the advantage of being easy
to store and erect, and costs less than conventional
methods of defence. Its effectiveness was proved
at Worcester and Ironbridge during the 2004 floods.
Waterside suffers from frequent
flooding. We are working in partnership with other
organisations to try to reduce the problem by
installing the temporary flood defences. Our partners
include Worcestershire County Council, Malvern
Hills District Council, Upton Town Council, Severn
Trent Water Ltd, Mercia Inshore Search and Rescue,
and West Mercia Police.
Anthony Perry, Area Flood Risk
Manager says: "The trial is an opportunity
for us to erect and dismantle the barriers in
controlled circumstances to ensure that when they
are needed during a flood, we can do the job efficiently
and effectively."
"These barriers have proved
very successful elsewhere and we believe they
will help protect Upton residents from most floods,
but flooding is a natural event and they will
not remove the risk completely. There will still
be risks from floodwater and from the barriers
themselves. For their own safety we are asking
people to take great care and comply with the
restrictions both during the forthcoming trial
and especially during a real flood."
Notes to Editor
Journalists welcome
Journalists are welcome to attend
this event. For specific media instructions on
where to locate equipment/interview requests/
filming times please contact the press office
on 0121 7115855/5829
During a real flood event:
We will erect the flood barriers
when weather data and river levels indicate that
flooding is imminent. The Geodesign barrier system
consists of an A-frame, overlaid with panels and
covered with an impermeable liner. Rising flood-waters
apply a downward pressure on the A-frame to keep
it in place. We will also block any gullies leading
to the river to prevent water backing up the drains
behind the barrier and use pumps to remove any
seepage.
For safety reasons there will
be some restrictions while the barrier is in use:
on-street parking will not be
permitted in the Waterside and Dunns Lane areas
vehicles will only be allowed into the Waterside
area in emergencies
there will be no pedestrian access along the whole
length of the defence.
We, along with the Council, advise that any residents
living immediately behind the barrier should take
the added precaution of occupying the upper floors
of their properties or move out if necessary during
the flooding period. Similarly, any shops and
businesses should protect their stock located
on the ground floor by transferring it to a level
that is above the normal flood level.
People will need to become familiar
with the four different stages:
On Standby
Prepare for the possibility of flooding. The temporary
barriers may be erected and vehicles will need
to be removed from designated areas
Erection of Barrier
Temporary defences will be erected within the
next 12 hours. Vehicles, pets and personal belongings
should be removed from areas where they may be
at risk. People need to be aware, be prepared
and act now.
Emergency Evacuation
At this stage, flooding is so severe that defences
may be overtopped and property flooding may occur.
We advise people to leave their properties as
it would be dangerous to stay.
Stand Down
Temporary defences will be removed within 12 hours.
Vehicles can return to the area once flood defences
have been fully removed.
All partners will monitor
the performance of the barrier while it is in
use. Any enquiries should be directed to the site
office located at the muster point near the Kings
Head Public House. The Fire and Rescue, Police
and Ambulance Services have all been involved
in the preparation of the Flood Defence Action
Plan.
