• The village has flooded several times in recent years including during storms in February
• Works will also protect nearby A38, an important trunk road for the area

The Environment Agency is preparing to begin work on a £1.8 million flood embankment scheme. It will protect homes and businesses in the historical Worcestershire village of Severn Stoke.

The flood mitigation embankment scheme will provide protection from the devastating impact of flooding to 18 homes and businesses. This includes the Grade II listed, 14th century St Deny’s Church, the 500-year-old Rose and Crown pub and the village hall.

The scheme is being developed in partnership with Worcester County Council and Malvern Hills District Council. It will also protect the nearby A38, preventing disruption to the busy trunk road.

Planning permission for the scheme has now been granted and materials are being moved onto site where they will be stored over the winter before work starts in the spring.  The first delivery will see reused material from the southern link road in Worcester that would otherwise have gone to landfill.

Soil being delivered to Severn Stoke to be used for a flood embankment

The work will also include environmental enhancements including a tree replacement scheme. This will increase both the number and diversity of tree species. It will also incorporate a pollinator corridor along the ‘dry side’ of the embankment and place bird and bat boxes throughout the scheme area.

Marc Lidderth, Environment Agency place manager for Shropshire and Worcestershire, said:

The community of Severn Stoke has suffered from significant flooding from the River Severn, most notably in 2007, 2012, February 2020 and again this year. This scheme is part of the Environment Agency’s investment in flood protection for the area and we are pleased to be able to begin work on it in early 2023.

David Harrison, portfolio holder for Planning, Infrastructure and Flooding at Malvern Hills District Council, said:

We are very pleased at the progress of the Severn Stoke flood alleviation scheme which has come a long way since it was brought to a public meeting at Severn Stoke Parish Hall in 2014.

We are proud to support this project, as well as to assist with funding supplied from the council’s Priority Reserve Fund. Thanks to the ongoing effort of everyone involved, the project will enter the next stage. It will see the material moved to the village over the next few weeks ready for the construction of the flood embankment next year. This an important next step in protecting the village and its community.

The Environment Agency provides a flood warning service for Severn Stoke. Please contact the 24-hour Floodline service on 0345 988 1188 for any ongoing flood related queries or advice. Sign up for flood warnings here.

The best way to protect yourself from flooding is to know what to do in advance. Download and save a simple Prepare, Act, Survive plan so you’ll know what to do when there’s a flood warning in your area.

Across the country, the Environment Agency has led projects to deliver flood schemes that see 314,000 homes better protected since 2015. Yet the Environment Agency is delivering more. Earlier this year the Government announced a record £5.2 billion investment in flood and coastal defences to build around 2,000 new flood and coastal defences and better protect 336,000 properties by 2027.

Background

Make sure you are prepared for flooding by following these tips:

• Prepare a bag that includes medical and insurance documents
• Check the latest flood situation online
• Know how to turn off your gas, electricity and water
• Check your insurance to make sure you are covered for flood damage. If you rent your home, it is your responsibility to have insurance for your belongings
• If you are flooded, call 999 if in immediate danger and follow advice from emergency services