Relief after £30m flood plan dropped

A national rural watchdog today expressed relief after a controversial £30 million scheme to prevent Shrewsbury from flooding was halted.

Shropshire Council and the Environment Agency have backed down over plans to work together on a river dam as part of the proposed North West Relief Road for Shrewsbury.

But officials have decided that combining a flood barrier with a bridge over the River Severn at Shelton would be a hugely complex project without any financial saving.

The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) today said it was delighted with the decision.

The idea caused controversy when it was revealed that while flooding downstream would be reduced, the risk of flooding upstream could have put up to 50 homes and farmland under threat.

But the watchdog said the Environment Agency would now be going it alone to find a way to reduce the town's flooding risk.

Caroline Bedell, CLA West Midlands director, said: "Good quality land, even if low-lying, needs to be maintained for food production and the habitats it currently provides.

"Generations have fought to keep the water away from their land. It would go against everything they have done for centuries to make sure their land is dry and productive."

The plans for the dam were branded "ridiculous" by residents whose homes and businesses could have faced more severe flooding.

According to Environment Agency computer models, river levels downstream would have dropped about one metre in Shrewsbury, 26cm in Atcham and 80cm in Ironbridge in the event of a "one in 50 year flooding event".

But levels could have risen by as much as four metres behind the dam.

By Russell Roberts