Housing association completes project to protect homes from flooding
A housing association which has completed a £70,000 project to protect its homes from flooding has welcomed plans for a long-term solution to the problem.
A set of bungalows, mostly occupied by elderly residents, in Pontesbury has been flooded three times in the past four years, leading Shropshire Rural Housing Association to take action.
The housing association, which owns and manages the 10 properties in Mary Webb Close, has installed a raft of measures, including flood-resistant front and back doors, smart air bricks and specialist valves in the plumbing system, to protect residents from flooding.
And now Shropshire Council has confirmed plans to make changes to the nearby junction of Station Road and Minsterley Road, which will help encourage water into the brook away from Station Road and Mary Webb Close.
John Green, Shropshire Rural Housing Association’s chief executive, said it was great news for residents of the bungalows.
He said: “We were pleased to be able to secure a grant of £40,000 from the Property Flood Resilience Support Scheme for the flood protection work, which has cost in the region of £70,000.
“The problem has been that the nearby brook has overflowed after heavy rainfall due to being overgrown and issues with drainage.
“We are therefore very pleased the council is planning to undertake improvement work at the junction between Station Road and Minsterley Road.
“As part of that work, the junction will hopefully be raised to direct the water into the brook and away from Station Road, which should greatly improve the situation.
“We will continue to stay in touch with our residents and will monitor the situation to ensure they stay safe and secure in their homes.”
A spokesperson for Shropshire Council said: “Junction improvement works are planned for the Station Road/Minsterley Road/Hall Bank junction to help improve pedestrian safety as a result of the nearby Shropshire Homes development.
“There will be an opportunity as part of these works to improve the drainage within the vicinity of the junction, which will hopefully alleviate some of the drainage issues along Station Road and Mary Webb Close.
“We do not currently have a start date for the works, but are hoping to deliver the works as part of the 2022/23 works programme.”
