WORK on the first part of new flood defences in Upton-upon-Severn is progressing ahead of schedule and is set for completion by mid-July.

The transportation of clay from Upton Marina is now complete and it has been formed into a flood bank at New Street and dressed in topsoil, ready to be grass-seeded.

Environment Agency site liaison officer Charles Chandler said: “Weather conditions have been ideal for the construction of the flood bank and we have completed it one week ahead of schedule.”

Access routes up and over the flood bank are almost completed and work is now focusing on the flood gate and flood wall structure at New Street.

The sheet pile core for the wall is complete and will be clad with bricks in the coming weeks.

New Street has been closed to vehicle access during the work, but the Environment Agency hopes to re-open it later this month for about four weeks.

It will then be closed again when the flood gate is installed in mid-June.

Contractors working on the scheme made an interesting discovery as they relocated a decaying ash tree trunk and root ball from the site where the flood wall is being built.

Mr Chandler said: “During the move we found lesser stag and stag beetle larvae in the tree. The stag beetle is our largest insect and a threatened species.

“To encourage these beetles we have buried additional wood logs by the decaying ash tree. The logs are from trees we have removed to build the flood bank.

“They are partly buried in soil to slowly decompose and attract insects and other invertebrates.”

Work is ongoing to finalise design details for the second phase of the Upton flood defence project – a glass-topped wall and landscaping scheme along the waterfront.

The EA is working with utility companies and will have to dig trial holes to identify the exact positioning, depths and conditions of utilities at key locations.

Scheme drawings can be viewed in the construction compound at Hanley Road car park, and anyone with questions about the work can call Mr Chandler on 07802 335133.