Preparations starting in Bewdley to pave way for permanent flood defences
Preparation work will start in Bewdley next week along the waterfront to pave the way for construction of permanent flood defences, if plans are approved.
Environment Agency (EA) chiefs said work would start on Monday to remove trees and other vegetation at Beales Corner, a notorious flooding spot.
Electricity will be diverted, alongside BT utilities, to make way for the permanent flood defences which are waiting approval from district council bosses.
The major £6 million scheme, which has been described as 'complex', will see the measures installed on Beales Corner to protect homes and businesses from flooding.
EA chiefs are hoping the project will be signed off in the coming weeks, with the main construction phase to start in summer, although no date has been set.
The preparation work will mean a road closure on Stourport Road, from the entrance to Millside Court to the junction with Kidderminster Road. Two-way traffic lights will be in place on the B4109 Kidderminster Road on the bridge ramp on the left bank of the River Severn.
Once the scheme is completed new tree planting will be undertaken by the EA to mitigate for the lost trees. It is expected the works will take approximately three weeks to complete.
An agency spokesman said: "This traffic management will be in place for approximately three weeks from February 13.
"The Environment Agency understands the disruptions of traffic management and takes the impact that these works will have on businesses and properties very seriously.
"For this reason we have combined the tree removal works and the utilities diversion works to all be undertaken at the same time to minimise future impacts and avoid peak times like the Easter holidays."
