New flood defences in Shropshire village ready 'at any time'
Temporary flood defences have been introduced to protect residents in a Shropshire village which has been plagued by regular flooding issues.
The Shropshire Rural Housing Association has invested in the demountable flood barriers for residents of Mary Webb Close in Pontesbury to reduce the impact of flooding in the future.
Staff from the housing association recently visited the cul-de-sac to test the system and explain to residents how it will work.
John Green, chief executive of the Shropshire Rural Housing Association, said the flood defences were the latest in a range of measures designed to protect residents.
He said: “We have spoken with the council and other partners on numerous occasions to try to tackle the root cause of the flooding issue, but there is no quick solution.
“Shropshire Council has carried out drainage work on the nearby junction of Station Road and Minsterley Road, designed to take surface water away from Mary Webb Close, but we are still seeing problems when we get a lot of heavy rain.
“However, we have been keen to do as much as we possibly can to improve the situation for our residents.
“To that end we invested £70,000 back in 2021 to install flood-resistant front and back doors, smart air bricks and specialist valves in the plumbing system to protect the properties when flooding occurs.
“Now, we hope these demountable barriers will provide an extra layer of protection, with the aim to prevent so much water from running down into the close at times of heavy rainfall.
“We have built a secure storage area so the barriers are here, ready for when they are needed at any time.”
The set of bungalows, mostly occupied by elderly residents, floods almost every year, leading the Shropshire Rural Housing Association to take action in 2021.
The housing association, which owns and manages the 10 properties in Mary Webb Close, says it will continue to closely monitor the situation over the winter and into the future.
