We need help with flood plan (From Worcester News)

We need help with flood plan

2:30pm Tuesday 27th January 2009 in Search By David Paine, @davidpaineWN #worcsnews

VILLAGE leaders have launched a rallying cry to residents and businesses in the hope their backing and support will help secure flood defences.

People are being asked to come up with fund-raising ideas and help in any way they can to ensure Kempsey, near Worcester, gets a scheme that will help protect villagers’ homes.

Your Worcester News previously reported how Kempsey was not included in the recent announcement of £2.7 million for flood alleviation projects by the Environment Agency’s regional flood defence committee, despite a petition signed by about 500 villagers.

Schemes at Pershore, Powick, Uckinghall, near Upton-upon-Severn, and Broadway were all given the go-ahead.

David Harrison, who is Kempsey Parish Council chairman, delivered a rousing speech to about 100 people at a meeting in St Mary’s Church.

“We have got to do something, we have got to go forward and we have got to get this and we want everybody behind it,” he said. “If we get another flood that’s three inches higher than what we got [in the summer of 2007] it’s going to be a disaster and we have got to stop this happening by putting flood defences in.”

In the storms of July 2007, 180 homes – a 10th of the village – were hit by floods and the A38 was shut for three days.

Kempsey’s proposed £1.45 million scheme could see a bund built in Church Meadow around the outlet of the Hatfield Brook to the west of the village, with a pump to move excess water into the river Severn. That cost also includes five years’ maintenance after construction is completed.

Anthony Perry, who is the Environment Agency’s flood risk manager for the area, said Kempsey’s best bet at getting its scheme delivered was by reducing its cost while also securing third-party funding.

He said that would require the parish council, the recently reformed Kempsey Flood Action Group and the district council all working together with the Environment Agency.

“I’m pretty confident that if we work together on this we can get it in the programme so it can be delivered,” he said. “I’m optimistic about the future.”

Now a plan is to be developed over the next six months in the hope a presentation can be made to the regional flood defence committee in September. If the committee accepts Kempsey’s proposal then the flood alleviation scheme could be in place by the end of 2010 or beginning of 2011.