Flood embankment update

A team from the Environment Agency came to the village and discussed the proposed flood embankment earlier this year with Julie O’Neill, as representative of the Parish Council and Chair of BJRA.

There is a delay in progressing with the flood embankment because of unexpected problems which will increase considerably the cost of the project.  There are issues around the presence of a rising main which will have to be moved, the impossibility of having a steep embankment on the road leading to the level crossing and the consequent need to consider raising the height of a considerable section of Station Road, and the presence of poplar trees – some of which would have to be removed to enable the embankment to be installed.

The team were shown round the flooding sites in the village related to possible flooding from the river and a number of possible flood control solutions were considered.

The flooding manager said that although initially the project seemed straight forward it has now become one of the most complex problems he has seen.  He did, however, give an assurance that there is no question that the project would be abandoned because of its complexity.