Dozens of Ironbridge homes to be defended by new permanent flood defences

Telford & Wrekin Council has been awarded £1.2million to help protect properties at 'most risk' of flooding, which will be spent over the next three years.

Work includes the creation of two new permanent flood defence walls at Dale End and Ladywood, as well as a range of flood alleviation measures for some 'at-risk properties' that are not already protected by permanent defences.

The proposed flood protection work has been approved in principle by the Environment Agency, and includes options such as additional waterproofing, pumps and flood doors - depending on the property and location.

Telford & Wrekin Council has admitted the walls cannot protect everyone in the area, but expects to provide flood defences to around 40 homes.

Leader of Telford and Wrekin Council, and MP, Shaun Davies said: "We have been lobbying the government for additional funding to improve flood defences in Ironbridge since the major floods of 2020 affected so many people living and working in the Gorge and surrounding area.

"Whilst this £1.2m is not an insubstantial amount of money and will help to provide flood protection for some residents and businesses, it's not enough to provide protection for everyone property in the Gorge, so we will now be consulting with those who are most at-risk, so see how best we can help to protect them from the misery that frequent flooding is causing."

The council will be consulting with those who are 'most at risk' to see how they can protect them from flooding, and to agree appropriate flood defence measures and timescales before seeking appropriate planning and access permissions.

Telford and Wrekin Council's Cabinet Member for Climate Action, the Environment, Heritage and Visitor Economy, and also the Ward Member for Ironbridge Gorge, Carolyn Healy, added: "Year-on-year now, residents and businesses in the borough, and particularly those living and working in and around Ironbridge have been at the mercy of the River Severn, with flooding getting more and more frequent. Indeed we have seen only this week confirmation that we've just had the second wettest October to March on record.

"The temporary flood barriers do a great job of protecting some homes and businesses in Ironbridge, but many others are left unprotected. We expect this funding to help to provide flood protection to around 40 homes and businesses who are not otherwise protected by existing permanent flood defences, but it won’t provide protection or peace of mind for everyone.

"We'll be using flood modelling data from the Environment Agency, plus historical flood records, to identify where this money can best be spent, and will be contacting those properties to consult on the most appropriate measures for their location."