River partnership to launch in bid to cut flooding and boost towns

A group has been formed from councils and environment teams to manage the longest river in the UK.

Shropshire Council has teamed up with other local authorities, the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales in a bid to monitor and manage the River Severn better.

The council’s cabinet will sign off the launch of the partnership and dedicate £500,000 funding at a meeting on Monday.

The authority said the River Severn Partnership will help manage the water, test it and also see how town planning can work around it.

Other councils signed up include Telford & Wrekin, Gloucester and Worcestershire.

Mark Barrow, the council’s director of place, said: “The River Severn Partnership is a newly-formed strategic coalition initially comprising Shropshire Council, the Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales, Telford & Wrekin Council, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire County and District Councils and the new regional water planning group Water Resources West but with a view to expanding further. 

“The RSP aims to take a strategic view of flood and water resource management along the River Severn, with a shared set of expectations and aspirations as well as establishing an up-to-date and comprehensive baseline hydraulic model for the whole river and main tributaries, including climate change allowances.”

He added: “The RSP will enable a long-term view of future water management needs and allow testing of water management scenarios to enable identification of a potential strategic package of environmental infrastructure investment and development along the river corridor. 

“Currently, each area looks at the water management in its own specific area and this approach will allow a corridor conversation on these issues to be held and a more strategic view to be discussed. 

“This approach will help support the management of water resources and assist in place-based resilience to flood risk whilst seeking to identify a long-term programme of water infrastructure that supports sector-based growth needs and helps to unlock sustainable development.”

Mr Barrow said the partnership would ‘stimulate and support sustainable housing and employment development along the River Severn corridor’.

He added: “Given the future economic growth, development and place making opportunities within the Big Town Plan for Shrewsbury, supported by the North West Relief Road and other developments further downstream such as the former Ironbridge Power Station, the timing will be helpful in informing future strategies, plans and projects.”