Treasury officials take to the water as MP leads bid for River Severn funding
Government treasury officials were taken on a boat trip on Shrewsbury's River Seven to be shown some of the problems facing town sitting on the UK's longest river.
A £500m plan to prevent flooding along the length of the river was presented to the on board meeting, by the River Severn Partnership.
The day was arranged by Shrewsbury MP Daniel Kawczynski who leads the River Severn Caucus – a group of more than 40 MPs whose constituencies contain the waterway.
The Partnership has been working on a business case for work to manage the river, with the aim of stopping or limiting the devastating flooding seen in recent years.
It is made up of a number of organisations, including the Environment Agency, Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin Councils, as well as a host of other councils, Severn Trent Water, Natural Resources Wales, and the Severn Rivers Trust.
Mr Kawczynski said: "I see flooding as the single biggest barrier affecting the economic growth of Shrewsbury.
"Flooding used to be a maybe, once in 10 years event, but we have had three years of horrendous flooding in Shrewsbury. This is happening on an annual basis to the frustration of businesses who are suffering dreadful losses. Insurance costs for homes and businesses are going through the roof - I know that first hand from my own home."
The MP said the aim of the River Severn Partnership was to find a holistic solution to managing the Severn.
"In the past we have concentrated on flood defences which may save many properties but simply push the body of water further downstream to our neighbours on the river. We need to find ways to manage it and hold the water further upsteam."
He said that by investing in innovative solutions and proving that the worked, the work along the River Sever could be groundbreaking and provide a massive export opportunity.
"It could also prove life saving for those in third world countries who after facing horrific flooding."
It has been predicted that the Severn Valley Water Management Scheme could stop as many as 3,000 homes and businesses being flooded.
In total the scheme will need to find a way to store around 26,000 Olympic swimming pools worth of water to provide the level of protection being targeted.
