Can we change the floods cycle?
For the last three years, the River Severn has caused untold problems throughout the county.
Once a major transport route for produce, and an essential source of water, particularly during the Industrial Revolution, it is now more of a tourist attraction and location for leisure pursuits. Indeed, the council is hoping to make it more of a feature for Shrewsbury’s tourism, perhaps along the lines of some European towns.
But what can look so calm in the summer months is capable of such power and destruction when the elements combine to create the massive floods that we have seen lately.
Is it a cycle that can be changed, or do we need to adapt to a different way of living? There is talk of holding back the flood water upstream, using the land adjacent to the river as flood plains, so that the businesses and houses along the banks of the river can continue to survive. Food for thought?
Sarah Norton is a retired rural dweller living near Shrewsbury
