Taunton's £6m flood defence plans approved

Vivary Park in the centre of Taunton flooded in 2012

Major flood defence projects costing £6m have been backed by councillors.

The work will help protect about 3,500 homes and businesses along both sides of the River Tone, through Taunton, Somerset, as flood risk increases due to climate change, councillors said.

The two schemes are the first part of a 30-year plan by Somerset West and Taunton Council to tackle flooding.

The plans, approved by the executive committee on Wednesday, will now go to full council for final approval.

The first flood defences will protect the A38, A3027 Bridge Street in the town centre, and the A3027 Staplegrove Road, where there are more than 1,000 homes.

The second part is the along North Town, Firepool, Bathpool, Wilton and the High Street, the site of 2,500 properties.

'Hold back water'

The council's environment spokesman councillor Richard Pilkington said: "It's to control the flow of water, what's happened over the years is the amount of water comes too quickly.

"We know with climate change the extra rain we are having, immense amounts of rainfall, is unprecedented.

"Biodiversity will have to be taken into account, it's not just the question of trying to hold back the water."

The council has been working with the Environment Agency to create the plans.

Graham Quarrier from the agency said: "We've got defences in place of course but there are still pockets and areas that would still be vulnerable and we have to not just think about the river Tone but also some of the tributaries particularly south of the Tone that get flooding from the Galmington stream, or the Sherford stream.

The plans also outlined other possible improvements.

This includes building flood alleviation ponds in Bradford-on-Tone, a pumping station at Bathpool, raised lock gates at Firepool and improvements at Longrun Meadow to increase floodwater storage capacity.