Town to get new flood defences

Dale End in Ironbridge is one of two areas to benefit

Two stretches of permanent flood barriers are to be be installed in Ironbridge, to protect homes and businesses from the River Severn.

Telford and Wrekin Council has been awarded £1.2m by the government to build the walls in Dale End and Ladywood.

The areas have suffered regular floods, with one business owner saying in 2020 that he had been flooded four times in just six months.

The Shropshire town will also get help for properties not protected by the barriers, including additional waterproofing, pumps and flood doors.

The local authority has been lobbying for funding to improve the flood defences since 2020.

Shaun Davies, the outgoing leader of Telford and Wrekin Council and now Telford's MP, said the defences would not be enough to provide protection for every property in the Ironbridge Gorge.

He said the authority would talk to those still at risk, to find ways to protect them "from the misery that frequent flooding is causing".

Ironbridge has had temporary flood barriers since 2004, which are erected when the river rises to protect properties along the Wharfage.

In 2020 the River Severn rose so high the temporary barriers buckled.

The Ironbridge Gorge was one of the first UK locations to be given World Heritage Site status in 1986, which recognised its importance as a pioneering part of the Industrial Revolution.

The temporary barriers have not protected all the homes in the gorge and the council said the new flood defences would protect an additional 40 homes and businesses.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.