£603,000 agreed to complete key Somerset flood defence

A substantial amount of vegetation has been cleared from the site of both channels to discourage nesting

Works to upgrade a key flood defence in Somerset will receive an extra £603,000.

The Somerset Rivers Authority (SRA) has been overseeing improvement work to the man-made relief channels for the River Cary and the River Parrett.

It wants to ensure they have sufficient capacity to cope with a wet winter and beyond.

Councillors voted on 22 July to allocate further funding to ensure the improvements are completed by November.

The River Sowy and King's Sedgemoor Drain form a relief channel for the River Cary and the River Parrett, taking excess water off the Somerset Levels near Langport and enabling it to flow out into the Bristol Channel north of Bridgwater.

The Environment Agency (EA) and its contractor Kier began work on the improvements in September 2021.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said they include raising low spots in the existing riverbanks, forming new banks where needed, excavating certain sections to prevent the channels from silting up and upgrading "outfall structures", such as the Dunball sluice.

Villages on the Somerset Levels were badly flooded in 2014

The SRA is aiming to complete the final elements of the scheme, concerning Parchey, Cossington and Chilton, before the winter to prevent any further disruption to local wildlife.

To reach this deadline additional funding had to be agreed due to high inflation across the construction sector which has affected numerous projects in the county.

"Risk persists"

In a written report, EA project executive Gary Cutts said the "biggest risk" to delivery was the "industry-wide issue of shortage of resources and inflationary pressures".

"This risk persists despite working with the contractor to secure earthworks plant, drivers and placing orders for outstanding materials early."

The scheme is set to cost just under £9m, including the additional funding.