Experts making progress on town's anti-flood scheme

A planning application for the Tenbury Wells Flood Risk Management Scheme is now due to be lodged this autumn with construction due to start in spring 2023, and completion in winter 2024.

That's depending on "funding, approvals and any unforeseen engineering challenges on site", according to a May 2022 newsletter to update residents on the scheme.

The Environment Agency newsletter, emailed on Tuesday, says that discussions "remain ongoing with key heritage stakeholders and the Hereford Anglican Church.

"The aim is to develop a design to best increase resilience of St Mary's Church whilst not compromising the integrity of the proposed flood defence.

"The intention is to keep any disturbance to burial plots within the graveyard to a minimum."

The project team has also undertaken another cost estimation, identifying increases due to the increased complexity, unforeseen changes in design, and industry wide increases in material costs.

An EA spokesperson said: "Inflation and industry wide cost increases have caused most construction material costs to rise by 20 per cent in the last 12 month period – some, including steel, cement, and bricks by much more."

The experts are also working out options for Burgage recreation ground, Church Street, Teme Bridge and the Kyre Brook.

They are also undertaking a review of the design and where the scheme can achieve greater benefits to improve the benefit cost ratio, and investigating additional funding sources.

And a flood plan is being developed with the local community in the coming months.

For more information visit consult.environmentagency.gov.uk/west-midlands/tenbury-wells-flood-risk-management-scheme.

To receive future newsletters, email your contact details to Tenbury.FRMS@environment-agency.gov.uk or phone the customer contact centre during office hours on 03708 506 506.