Official opening for village flood works (From Worcester News)

Official opening for village flood works

11:20pm Tuesday 24th July 2012 in News

FLOODING problems could be a thing of the past when a £1.5 million defence system opens in Kempsey this Saturday.

The new barrier will protect 150 homes and businesses, and the A38 during bouts of heavy rain.

Kempsey has been hit by flooding 23 times in the last 30 years, with the River Severn and Hatfield brook causing a major threat.

West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin , who will open it, said: “The Kempsey flood alleviation scheme is important not only for the villagers but also to ensure the main road stays open.

“I would like to pay tribute to the residents who campaigned for flood defences and raised money. I am pleased another village now has something that will protect them during difficult weather conditions.

“There is still much work to do, but every scheme completed is another step towards ending the devastation caused by flooding. “This is the sixth scheme the Environment Agency has delivered in my constituency.”

The project, which took almost a year, was delayed after a mediaeval burial ground was found at the site.

A 590ft earth embankment will form the basis of the barrier. Pumps, working in tandem with sluice gates, have been designed to allow the Hatfield Brook to join the river during floods. The system has been recently tested.Campaigners from Kempsey Flood Action Group had been calling for an embankment since the early 1990s.