VITAL ground work to protect homes and businesses in Upton-upon-Severn from severe floods is hoped to start next year, highway chiefs have said.
Bosses at Worcestershire County Council confirmed it is looking into starting a project which will raise the A4104 road by Upton Marina.
The road has been rendered impassable at times during heavy flooding and West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin has urged for it to be improved.
The county council has responded to Mrs Baldwin’s questions and confirmed a flood alleviation plan is being developed to raise the road. It is also commissioning a study to look at similar work on Hanley Road.
Work undertaken will be part of an estimated £1.8m scheme to be funded by the Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership to deliver similar flood adaptation projects across the county.
Coun John Smith, cabinet member with responsibility for Highways said: “We’ve been working up ideas to raise the road outside the marina in Upton upon Severn for some time and Harriett Baldwin’s support for our plans is extremely welcome.
“We’ve still got to finalise the design, confirm costings and ensure that the improvements won’t cause any problems with the flood plain but we hope to be able to carry out the work in 2017.”
In January the town suffered several flooding problems with Hanley Road closed on separate occasions sue to the volume of water on the surface.
But council chiefs warned work to improve Hanley Road could be more difficult to achieve than expected.
Coun Smith added: “We need to be careful though not to raise expectations about the potential to increase the resilience of the Hanley Road. An acceptable solution here could be much more difficult or even impossible to achieve. But we’ll look at all the options and develop a scheme if we can.”
Mrs Baldwin said she welcomed the news.
“The A4104 road past the marina is an area which badly needs improvements and I have asked the county council to look at this and also improvements at the main junction at the end of that road,” she said.
“Upton home owners and businesses will welcome this news, which will play an important role helping to keep the town accessible during times of flooding.
“The issue came into stark highlight when the army were drafted in a couple of years ago to ferry people over the flooded road. Raising the road should make a huge difference to local people.
“I am pleased that the council is also looking at the Hanley Road. I look forward to working with the county’s transport team to make sure that we get a scheme that helps local people and local commuters.”
Picture – HiCam Photography
