Wolverley FLAG

Flood action group in at the deep end

9:50am Thursday 13th November 2008

A NEW action group has been formed in Wolverley to tackle flooding and a programme of drainage work has started in the village to address the problem.

The Wolverley Flood Action Group, known as the Wolverley FLAG, consists of volunteer member residents of Wolverley.

Member Lynne Cheshire, who only returned to her home in August after it was flooded twice last year, explained that the village was flooded again in September, while one property was affected by Sunday’s heavy rain.

She said the aim of Wolverley FLAG was to reduce the risk of flooding and to assist in any recovery process.

She added: “It is a big problem in the village and we are all convinced it will happen again. The general feeling is that we can’t live like this.”

Wolverley FLAG invited representatives of the Environment Agency, Severn Trent, Wyre Forest District Council, Worcestershire County Council, and British Waterways to a meeting on Tuesday.

Mrs Cheshire said by working with those organisations, they would look at ways of clearing watercourse blockages and drains and assessing the current flow of water on the Stour flood plain between Kidderminster and Wolverley.

Work has already started in the village to install a 450mm pipe from the bottom of Church Bank, across the front of the Queen’s Head pub car park to existing outfall into the brook. The work is expected to last two weeks.

Conservative Worcester-shire county councillor, Gordon Yarranton, said another scheme in Wribbenhall, to install a new pipe system along Kidderminster Road, should start in March next year.

He added: “The works we’re going to do should alleviate a lot of flooding problems. It’s a multi-agency issue. Now that we have got the scheme on the ground, this should encourage Severn Trent Water and the Environment Agency to carry out their side of it.”

A summary of each meeting of Wolverley FLAG will be displayed on the village store noticeboard on a regular basis in order to keep Wolverley residents informed of actions and progress.

Communication drop- boxes are available in both the village store and the Queens Head, should residents wish to comment on issues.

Drainage works: Councillor Gordon Yarranton with one of the engineers at the drainage works in Wolverley.

27th July 2007

Wolverley Village Flooding

WOLVERLEY residents are angry they did not receive more official help after seeing their homes wrecked by flooding for the second time in six weeks.

Edward Cheshire and his wife, Lynne, who have lived in their Church Bank cottage for 12 years, believe the damage will cost them £35,000 to put right.

The couple have had to rent a house, in Kidderminster, since the nearby Mill Race Brook burst its banks, on June 19, flooding the ground floor of their home.

After heavy rain, last Friday, their home and the surrounding cottages were hit for the second time.

Mr Cheshire said: "I came here at 6pm on Friday and the brook was very high up the bank, so I left my phone number with a neighbour and went for a drink with friends at the Lock pub".

"I came back an hour later and in that time the brook had risen above 2ft, up to the cottages and water was covering our front garden".

Read more on The Shuttle web site at the link below.

http://www.kidderminstershuttle.co.uk/news/ksnewslatest/display.var.1573982.0.35_000_damage_to_home.php