Shifnal flooding fears over 'poor drainage'
A former mayor of Shifnal has warned there will be a flooding "disaster" unless urgent work is undertaken to improve drainage on proposed housing developments in the town.
Gerald Nickless was speaking at the annual meeting of Shifnal Town Council, held at the Old Fire Station in Shrewsbury Road.
The council has expressed concerns about inadequate drainage systems being in place while homes are being built.
Bob Haddon, chairman of Shifnal Flood Partnership Group, said there had been two serious flooding incidents in the last two months alone.
He said he was planning to go along and speak at a Shropshire Council planning committee meeting on Tuesday, where an application from developer Taylor Wimpey is being heard for work in Stone Drive.
Speaking at the town council meeting, he said: "Shifnal is currently undergoing large scale housing development and will be doing so for a number of years. We have concerns due to the lack of surface water management schemes during construction.
"It seems there is only an onus on developers to implement such schemes once building work has been completed.
"That is not good enough. There has already been evidence of two serious flooding situations this year. I will be calling for action at the meeting."
Mr Nickless said: "We are heading for such a disaster in Shifnal when the water enters the Wesley Brook from the estates.
"It was 14 feet wide when I was a kid, now it's just three feet wide and even less in some parts where people have pinched land over the years for their gardens.
"It is a disaster waiting to happen if that goes on."
Town councillor Gordon Tonkinson said some members of the council, including himself, predicted problems three years ago when building work started.
"All this business, and we were told at the start that there was going to be no more run-off with the water than there was from the fields," he said.
"We said it was a nonsense then, with all the roofs and the asphalt, and so it has proven.
"These people are still in their jobs, and it is the people of Shifnal who are suffering."
Town mayor Robert Harrop said the council had "genuine concerns" regarding the effectiveness of drainage systems in the town, and welcomed Mr Haddon speaking at the planning meeting.
