Shrewsbury flats ravaged by floods just weeks before getting new barriers

The Coton Manor apartments in Shrewsbury have been turned virtually into an island after the effects of Storm Franklin caused the River Severn to overflow again. The water level is now receding and key roads across Shrewsbury which were submerged are open again.

The flats near the showground have been impacted in each of the four major flood events in the last three years, and it was expected that door barriers would be installed soon thanks to a grant from the Government's Property Resilience Fund.

But the measures will come too late to help this time. Among those who are either stranded in their flats or have had to evacuate are NHS staff, teachers and families with babies and small children.

One resident, Vanna Jones, said she and her husband only returned to their flat in December 2020 after nearly a year away due to flood repairs.

On this most recent bout of flooding, she said: "We had to evacuate two days ago. My mother's got a one-bedroom bungalow which she's putting us up in while we're waiting.

"We can't get into our flat at the moment because it's on the ground floor. The council has said they will come and assess the situation.

"It comes up over my wellies, but I think it is receding a bit. We know when it gets over 5m at the Welsh Bridge the flats will flood.

"We couldn't stay in our flat but quite a lot of people have stayed. It hasn't stopped the electrics. If it had then they would have had to evacuate all 68 flats.

"There are people who work for the NHS who live there who haven't been able to get out to work, and teachers who couldn't get to school. There are families with babies there as well."

Ian Nellins, Shropshire Council's cabinet member for climate change, natural assets and the green economy, said just weeks ago: "Shropshire Council are currently processing an application from Coton Manor for funding towards Property Flood Resilience (PFR) measures to make the building more resilient to future flood events.

"These measures are being funded as part of DEFRA’s PFR Recovery Support Scheme which was made available to properties internally flooded during the 2020 floods which affected large parts of the county.

"As several properties on the ground floor of the building were internally flooded, the council are working with the buildings management company to combine each property's funding allowance to deliver a joint resilience scheme.

"We are also continuing to work with the Environment Agency on options for future flood alleviation projects for Coton Manor and other areas in Shrewsbury currently undefended by Environment Agency managed flood defences."

Meanwhile, Lib Dem councillor Alex Wagner criticised the Government for a lack of action on flooding.

Councillor Wagner, who represents the Bowbrook area of Shrewsbury, said: “The lack of action from the Government on flooding is a national scandal. Local businesses and communities in Shrewsbury are suffering enormously, yet it feels a million miles from being a priority.

“Two years ago, Lib Dem leader Ed Davey visited Shrewsbury during flooding, and called for real action - putting together a plan for serious investment flood defences. Whilst Shrewsbury was being ignored nationally, Lib Dems were out in the community talking to businesses and residents impacted. That was leadership, and a real call to put a spotlight on the issue and get it sorted out. The Government can’t claim to be caught unawares by this - they’ve known about it for years.

“Ministers have since visited with our MP, and boasted about the fantastic work they are doing and investment to follow. But it is getting worse every year, and now this year is the worst in over 20 years. It is unsustainable and demoralising for our town to have hopes put up, before being let down again.

“It seems to me that this Government just doesn’t care about towns like Shrewsbury. We’re not on their radar, we’re not a priority, and there is no sense of urgency to fix what is now becoming a yearly crisis. It has got to change, people are fed up.”