Somerset canal to remain part of vital flood defence

The Bridgwater and Taunton Canal connects the River Tone and River Parrett downstream of their natural confluence at Burrowbridge

A historic Somerset canal will still be used as a key flood defence even after part of it has been regenerated, the Environment Agency (EA) said.

The Bridgwater and Taunton Canal runs from the Firepool Lock, Taunton to the Northgate Docks, Bridgwater, connecting the River Tone and River Parrett.

The canal was used as a flood relief channel during the heavy rains in 2023.

The EA confirmed this could continue after the Northgate end is regenerated in the £23.2m Bridgwater town deal.

A total of £5.2m has been allocated towards regenerating the Northgate docks with £4.2m to be spent on the site itself.

The remaining £1m will fund walking and cycling improvements to improve Bridgwater's existing active travel network, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

£5.2m has been allocated towards regenerating the Northgate docks

The docks also form the western terminus of the Celebration Mile, which runs through the town centre to the town's railway station.

Three sections of that will be delivered within the Bridgwater town deal at a cost of £9m.

The EA confirmed using the canal as a flood relief channel will not impact on regeneration efforts.

An agency spokesman said: "If the need arises in the future, we will continue to make use of the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal to pump surplus flood waters into it from Northmoor.

"This practice will not have a negative effect on the Northgate Docks proposal, and staff from the EA, the Bridgwater tidal barrier project team and the Wildfowl and Wetland Trust (WWT) are embedded in the town deal initiative to ensure continuity."

The canal prevented the River Tone from over-topping and threatening properties in the Firepool area

The Bridgwater tidal barrier - due to be operational by early 2027 - is designed to prevent water flowing up the River Parrett on the incoming tide, putting properties in and around Bridgwater at risk.

On outgoing tides, the barrier's flood gates will allow water flowing into the Parrett, from the Tone and off the Moors, to flow into the Bristol Channel at a controlled rate.

At the Taunton end of the canal, the EA and Somerset Council intend to raise the flood defences around the Firepool Lock canal gates, as well as constructing higher defences between Firepool and Obridge.

This is to protect the existing homes, the Firepool regeneration site and both the Crown and Priorswood industrial estates.

Planning applications for these schemes and a separate project at Frieze Hill are expected to be submitted to the council by late-March 2024, meaning work could begin by the end of 2024 if approval is granted.