Storm Franklin: Shrewsbury town centre roads close as river level reaches near-record high

Water started spilling out of the River Severn in the county town over the weekend, but the arrival of Storm Franklin led to a flood warning being issued as water flooded roads, car parks and green spaces in the town.

The Environment Agency issued two separate flood warnings for the town - one for Shrewsbury and one specifically for the Showground and The Quarry - with river levels expected to rise further and peak at 4.7-5.2m at the Welsh Bridge on Tuesday afternoon. As of 6.15pm on Monday the Environment Agency said the level was 5m, raising nearly half a metre from the 4.55m recorded at 12.45pm.

The top of the river's normal range at the bridge is 2.7m, and the highest ever recorded is 5.25m in November 2000.

In its warning, the agency said it expecting Gravel Hill Lane, Sydney Avenue and Victoria Avenue to be flooded, while the Frankwell and St Julians Friar's car parks were already reported as underwater.

"The land behind wall at Coton Hill, Roushill and the B5067 Berwick Road and the B4380 are also flooded," the warning continued. "Access to Riverside medical practice affected."

Parts of The Quarry and Showground were also flooded on Monday morning.

Residents and business owners have been advised to move possessions and valuables to higher positions of safety with river levels expected to remain high until Thursday.

Videos have also shown the frightening speed at which the river is flowing. One, posted by Shrewsbury Police's Twitter account shows water flowing rapidly at just south of the town at Atcham Bridge.

Other photos show flooded car parks and small buildings on the river bank almost completely submerged.

The high river levels have also led to the closure of a number of town centre roads.

Shropshire Council has now listed the following roads as closed, or being prepared for closure:

• Gravel Hill Lane

• Longden Coleham

• Coleham Head

• Smithfield Road

• Coton Hill

• Chester Street/Cross Street

• Sydney Avenue

• Atcham to Cross Houses and Chiltern Farm Lane

• Coleham Head Lane Closure into Town Centre

• Berwick Road

• Old Coleham

• Victoria Avenue

• Williams Way

• Raven Meadows at the Roushill side

• Roushill

• Cressage to Eaton Constantine

The Welsh Bridge has been closed to traffic coming into town but remains open to traffic leaving Shrewsbury town centre.

A number of Shrewsbury's major car parks are also closed to the public: Frankwell Riverside only available for Environment Agency staff; Frankwell Main and St Julian's Friar's closed until further noticed, and Raven Meadows multi-storey shut due to a power outage.

The town's bus station has also been closed, with temporary bus terminus drop off/pick up points at New Park Road near Beacalls Lane, Abbey Foregate Car Park and outside Theatre Severn.

Shropshire Council has also said a bus will operate between 6.30pm and 7.30pm from Oxon Park and Ride to Theatre Severn for the rescheduled Burn the Floor event, with return journeys from 9.30pm to 10.30pm. The authority warns people to plan early as "there may be queues" for the bus.

Shrewsbury Police also said that Berwick Road is flooded, and warned motorists to "never drive through flood water".

Meanwhile trains are not running west from Shrewsbury towards Welshpool, Newtown and Aberystwyth due to flooding in Powys.

Resident Chris Allen, who lives in one of the oldest houses in Shrewsbury town centre next to Greyfriars Bridge, has again watched his entire back garden and shed go underwater, while his cellar has also filled up. He has put down sandbags for the first time, and is hopeful the peak levels are not as extreme as predicted.

“I have been living here 18 years and the last couple of years are the highest I’ve known it,” he said.

Chris has been working from home, but has been finding himself distracted by checking on the river, adding that if it was a “one-off, you can live with it but it’s not any more”.

The Coleham area was quiet as residents and businesses got ready. Longden Coleham was closed and several shops had their new flood gates installed for the first time before flooding eventually hit later in the day.

Belle Vue councillor Kate Halliday said her “heart breaks” for businesses facing floods yet again, but believes the community is well prepared.

She added: “It’s good to see the flood gates up. We’re hoping they are going to make a difference.

“The shops are so important for our Belle Vue and Coleham community, and we just want them to get through with the least pain possible. My heart breaks for them, but everybody seems better prepared.”

She also raised concerns about people driving in the area, causing waves to cascade into people’s properties. And she said Environment Agency estimates “caused huge upset” due to the vast fluctuations.

“I’m sure it’s difficult to get it right, but there seems to have been huge variations,” she said.

Flooding may not float everyone’s boat, but a group of university students living at Coleham Head tried to make the best of a bad situation.

Harri Herniman was relaxing in a dinghy while chatting with house mate Jay Manuel. “I bought this last year but it arrived the day after the floods stopped,” he said. “When we went to university this morning there was no water in the road,” he added as the water gradually filled the road.

“The house is fine so far, there’s water in the garage and the garden and a bit in the hallway. We’ve just cleared everything out from the garage and moved things upstairs.”