'I'm constantly cleaning up from floods'

Siobhan Connor wants a long-term solution found to prevent frequent flooding

A Shrewsbury businesswoman has said repeated flooding from the River Severn is ruining her love for her hometown.

Siobhan Connor, who runs Connor PR from her home in the town centre, has been flooded 20 times since 1998.

She is giving her backing to the Flood Action Group, which aims to improve support and communication with firms in Shrewsbury affected by the issue.

The new group is a pilot scheme by the National Flood Forum and managers said they hoped to assess the real financial consequences for businesses.

A drop-in session was held at the Roy Fletcher Centre in Shrewsbury on Monday, so businesses could share their worries and concerns about the impact of flooding.

Ms Connor said every winter she faced a constant battle to minimise the effects of flooding and then a lengthy clean-up.

Over winter 2023 she said her home was flooded three times.

"You're not drying out, you've got mould coming in, you've got dry rot, you've got raw sewage coming in," she said.

"It's a full-time sanitation, cleaning job that every day you have to chip away at and then try and put another [flood] measure in."

National Flood Forum is a charity that supports communities affected by flooding

She already has pumps and barriers, as well as electrical plugs and appliances mounted above expected water levels.

"I don't go away in the summer because I like to enjoy the town when it's not flooded, but I'm spending those warmer months reinstating my house, which I'm having to do three times a year," Ms Connor said.

"Flooding affects the roads and the number of people visiting the town and it impacts on the local economy, so even if you're not under water, it does affect all of us."

She called for more investment in the town, citing the barriers downriver in Bewdley.

Katia Sanhueza-Pino, Community Engagement Manager at National Flood Forum, said its teams had spoken to about 60 businesses over the past few weeks, with the aim of improving communication.

"Information needs to be streamlined and the messaging needs to be clear," she said.

"Whether it's an app or website, we don't know what it will look like, but we trying to identify the needs and the gaps, so we can then shape that into a plan or physical outcome."

The group, funded by the West Mercia Local Resilience Forum, is also being supported by the Environment Agency, Shropshire Council, Seven Trent Water and the Shrewsbury Business Improvement District.

A second business drop-in session is taking place at The Hive, in Belmont, on Tuesday 27 August.