‘Put proper flood barriers up to prevent tragedy’ (From Worcester News)

‘Put proper flood barriers up to prevent tragedy’

5:50pm Tuesday 15th January 2013 in News By Sarah Davies

FLOODED: The entrance to a walkway opposite Cripplegate Park.

CALLS have been made for barriers to be installed at entrances to riverside slipways to protect people from the dangers of fast-flowing flood waters.

Andrew Brown wants safety measures put in place along Worcester’s scenic walkways after the river Severn was left swollen by heavy rainfall for several days in November and over the festive period.

The St John’s resident called Worcestershire County Council on New Year’s Eve to raise concerns about the entrance to a walkway opposite Cripplegate Park, which had been flooded by water several feet deep.

Mr Brown said he feared it was an “accident waiting to happen”.

He said: “It was New Year’s Eve and people would have been drinking and joking around. There was nothing to stop people from walking down that walkway.

“Within two hours of me calling the council they had been out and put a barrier up but the next day it was gone again. Another barrier was in the water a bit further along the walkway.

“There was also a gap in the railings at road level. It just strikes me that’s a danger to small children. A child could so easily fall through that gap.

“There could be barriers that lock into place when needed. That flimsy arrangement doesn’t seem very viable. There could be a tragedy.”

Jon Fraser, Worcestershire County Council’s customer and community manager for highways, said different flood levels needed different approaches.

He said: “Temporary barriers are not normally placed on footways during times of flood as it would not be practical to cover every access point to the edges of a flooded river.

“We put out warning signs when adjacent roads are flooded and we do treat each request on its merit, with differing flood levels requiring different approaches.”