Shropshire flooding: Council to seek Government funds to pay for clean-up
Government funds will be sought to help pay for the mammoth clean-up operation as Shropshire pieces itself back together in the aftermath of Storm Dennis.
Hundreds of council workers have been deployed to help clear roads and take away ruined belongings, while the bill for infrastructure repairs is expected to run into the hundreds of thousands.
Shropshire Council will have to pay the first £460,000 before it can make a claim under the Government's Bellwin scheme for the additional cost.
See also:
On top of this, the council has pledged to seek more money from Westminster to fund new flood defences in some of the worst-hit areas of the county, like Bridgnorth and Ludlow.
There is also talk of future measures being introduced to the north of Shrewsbury following the completion of the North West Relief Road, in a bid to protect the communities further downstream on the River Severn.
Council leader Peter Nutting said: "It's whether the North West Relief Road can be constructed in a way that in the future we could create some sort of dam.
"There is quite an interesting plan that when we build the bridge over the rover at Shelton, we can look at whether we can install some flood barriers."
Councillor Nutting said the measures would not be included in the plans, in order to avoid delay in getting the work approved and started, but it was hoped that the bridge could be constructed in such a way that barriers could be installed in the future.
While Shrewsbury's flood defences continued to hold back the water in Frankwell, other areas of the town were left under water when unprecedented water levels burst river banks and overpowered the drainage systems.
Councillor Nutting said: "I am a little bit concerned that Smithfield Road was affected as much as it was. Work was done with the drainage there previously, but it does sound like there are still serious drainage problems there that will need to be revisited."
Extensive road closures in Shrewsbury also had a knock-on effect on the trade of town centre businesses, with people told to avoid driving into the town centre. The council said it would consider seeking funding to offer business rate reduction in a bid to support those affected.
