Call for river authorities to widen the River Severn to prevent flooding

Sam Wood, of Lilleshall, claims he's been suggesting for years that the river should be at least a metre wider both sides, made deeper and that overhanging trees should be removed.

The long standing campaigner said efforts should be made to carry out works from the Bristol estuary through Shropshire and to Wales to alleviate flooding risks.

Mr Wood, a pensioner who runs a sheep and cattle farm, he says that this tactic is being used by farmers with water crossing their land to minimise problems caused by burst river banks that it is a "no-brainer".

"I'm disgusted with the flooding situation that's affecting so many communities up and down the country," said Mr Wood.

"In order to stop it, the Severn needs to have a metre taken out on both sides. It needs widening and even deepening. If we have low hanging tree branches as the water rises those low branches will impede the flow.

"The work needs to start from Bristol at the Severn estuary, through Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, through Shropshire and into Wales. They need to get rid of all the debris.

Neglected

"I don't think any tidying up on that scale has been done for 50 years. It has been neglected for a long time.

"I'm a farmer and I have dealt with a lot of watercourses and drains throughout my life. That's is what farmers do to keep water off their land, they carry out periodic maintenance.

"I attended a meeting about a decade ago when this matter was raised and nothing has been done about it since.

"There is an island at Acton Burnell where the river goes both sides of the road and this needs to be changed."

He says that a meeting in Shropshire was held in 2007 discussing the same issues and that nothing had changed.

In 2019, following several days of heavy rain in the autumn, flood barriers were installed in Shrewsbury and Ironbridge. The B5062 remained closed between Roden and High Ercall after a bridge was damaged when the River Roden was breached.

At Leintwardine, just over the border with Herefordshire the River Teme reached its highest recorded level exceeding the summer floods of 12 years ago.

Recently a meeting was held between residents, Shropshire, and Worthen and Shelve councils due to repeated flooding in the Millstream area.