Shropshire towns set for further flood studies
A Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment carried out by Shropshire Council has found 57 flood risk areas across Shropshire that are deemed to be of local significance.
The flood risk areas include a number of locations which may require further investigation based on the number of people deemed to be at risk of flooding. These are Oswestry, Shrewsbury, Bridgnorth, Albrighton, Gobowen, Weston Rhyn, Whitchurch, Minsterley, Wem, Bishop’s Castle and Little Stretton.
Other areas have also been highlighted for further investigation based on the number of non-residential properties at risk. These are Ludlow, Westbury, Market Drayton and Mile Oak.
A Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment is a statutory obligation arising from the Flood Risk Regulations 2009. Its purpose is to assess local flood risk through readily available information obtained from a data collection exercise on past and future flooding. This data has been obtained both from within Shropshire Council and other key stakeholders such as the Environment Agency and Severn Trent Water.
The Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment process identifies places above the flood risk thresholds defined as greater than 200 people, 20 businesses, or two items of critical infrastructure at risk within a 1km square. These are deemed to be locally significant, based on past and future flooding data.
A total of 57 such 1km squares have been identified in Shropshire.
At its meeting on Wednesday 11 May 2011, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet members will consider a report into the Flood Risk Assessment.
Councillor Martin Taylor-Smith, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for transport and IT, said:
“The Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment process has helped us to identify places above the flood risk thresholds. These locations can now be used to prioritise future studies and inform Shropshire Council’s local flood risk management strategy.”
The Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment did not identify any nationally significant flood risk areas within Shropshire.
A Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment identifies any flood risk areas of national significance. A significant flood risk is defined in the Final Guidance as: greater than 30,000 people, 3,000 non-residential properties, or 150 items of critical infrastructure at risk.
