Worcester riverside revamp gets 'flood-proof' lighting

Parts of Worcester were badly affected by flash flooding in July 2007

Lighting designed to work in flood water has been installed as part of a £1m redevelopment project in Worcester.

The riverside lighting will carry on working even if it is under flood water for a long period.

The lights are also designed to be vandal proof and able to survive being hit by debris swept along in flood water.

The area around the city cathedral was badly affected during flash flooding in Worcestershire in July 2007.

Richard Hopkins, the project manager, said: "It is obviously a very high specification usually used in harbours and on seafronts."

Mr Hopkins said the lights were also shorter than ordinary street lamps.

He said: "What we didn't want was large street column lighting which is 5m high because that would ruin all the aesthetics from the cathedral that's in the backdrop."

More visitors

The new lighting is part of a bigger scheme to refurbish the riverside in the centre of Worcester around the cathedral.

New trees have been planted and the route to a new foot and cycle bridge at Diglis has been re-paved.

Georgia Smith, from Visit Worcester, is confident that the refurbishment will bring more tourists and local people to the area.

"We've already seen how successful the fountains have been and how many children and adults they attract to sit by them and watch the water.

"Adding this extra link down to the Diglis bridge is only going to make it better," she said.