THERE were cheers at Bromsgrove District Council House last night (Monday) when the planning committee gave the go ahead for the latest flood prevention scheme in Catshill.
North Worcestershire Water Management will now create a flood storage area, which will see part of the Marl Brook diverted into a grassy hollow. There water can be collected and then, when the flooding subsides, it can be released in a controlled manner back into the brook, via a discharge pipe.
Fears were expressed at the meeting about safety, with regard to children playing in the area, but it was explained that the water levels across the area would always be very low and the sides would not be steep.
This latest measures follows on from a number of others, including increasing the capacity of balancing pools aimed at taking away excess water – that was done in October 2012, and maintenance work carried out on culverts earlier this year.
The area concerned in Catshill has a history of flooding dating back to the 1970s.
Some of the worst times included one incident in 2007 and another on June 28, 2012, when ten homes in Green Lane flooded. Homes were also flooded at the end of July last year.
Fiona McIntosh is the senior water management officer from North Worcestershire Water Management which operates on behalf of Bromsgrove, Redditch and Wyre Forest councils.
At the meeting she said: “We have done similar schemes in Redditch – one of those was at Batchley Brook which has been very effective.
“We are confident it will work,” she added.
Coun Helen Jones who has been campaigning on behalf of the residents for year also spoke up in favour of the scheme which she said, along with the other measures, would hopefully prevent homes from flooding.
Welcoming the decision of the committee she said: “It will give residents peace of mind.”
