Ironbridge flooding now 'once a year' as Storm Franklin pushes river levels up
Councillors and residents in Ironbridge are worried severe floods are becoming an annual event after barriers returned to the town as river levels rose.
The deployment of flood barriers along the Wharfage in Ironbridge over the weekend - before river levels rose significantly on Monday - brought back painful memories of last year and especially 2020, when the force of the Severn pushed similar barriers back, gouging the road in places. Businesses and homes were flooded and residents counted the costs for months.
A year ago heavy flooding caused similar disruption across the county with the River Severn reaching a maximum height of 6.71m in Ironbridge.
The arrival of Storm Franklin on Sunday has led to a series of flood warnings being issued along the River Severn in Shropshire as water starts to spill over the banks.
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In its flood warning issued on Monday, the Environment Agency said it expected properties on Ferry Road to flood, and predicted the river to peak at Buildwas between 6.6m and 7.0m on Tuesday night.
As a result Telford & Wrekin Council has closed The Wharfage to vehicles, though pedestrian access is still possible and businesses have been allowed to open as usual.
Sandbags are also available to residents from Wharfage Car Park (accessible via foot only), Ironbridge Central Car Park and in the last parking bay outside the Black Swan Pub.
The council has also closed The Wharfage (to vehicles only), The Lloyds, Coalford and Ferry Road, while Madeley Road - originally due to be closed until mid-April for essential roadworks - is due to reopen with temporary traffic lights on Monday afternoon.
Carolyn Healy, borough councillor for the Ironbridge Gorge and Telford & Wrekin cabinet member for the environment, said that devastating events were becoming more and more common.
"What used to be something that happened once every 10 or 20 years is now happening once a year or more than once a year in some cases," she said.
"For residents and businesses that doesn't give you a lot of time to recover or prepare - drying out your property takes a long time."
Thankfully, Councillor Healy said, residents and business owners have since been able to access resilience funding from central government to help make their own properties safer in the event of flooding. The council has also been able to identify different points at which properties in the Gorge flood for a more directed approach to flood prevention.
But this week's water levels will have been a depressing reminder of past disasters for those who live and work along the river.
Councillor Healy said: "You just really feel for those people who are affected. I wish it was possible to make sure nowhere flooded at all but without wholesale changes further up the river...
"I just hope this is it for the winter."
Charlotte Wade has run Wild Iris, a clothing boutique and ladies gift shop in Ironbridge for two years and kept her shop closed today.
She said: "We were out helping with sandbags yesterday but took the decision to close today as they are advising people not to visit the gorge.
"We don't suffer from flooding in the shop much ourselves as we are quite elevated but obviously the area does and it can keep people away. We will re-open when we are advised to and the situation is getting better."
But Christine Darlington, of Darlingtons of Ironbridge said the same thing happens every year and eventually people might have to learn to live with it.
She said: "The flood defences are in place and we will have to hope they do their job but I think the thing is to be prepared for it to happen and not be surprised when it does. That's not to say preparations can't be made to guard against it but there is always an air of inevitably about it,"
