The Environment Agency has started work on Phase 1 of the £28 million Perry Barr and Witton flood risk management scheme in the West Midlands.
The scheme involves rebuilding existing flood walls and constructing new walls, together with work which will begin to stop water flowing underneath the railway line and the removal of a redundant sewer which crosses the River Tame.
A planning application for Phase 2 is scheduled to be submitted later next year with construction planned for early 2017. Phase 2 of the scheme involves increasing the capacity of the existing flood storage reservoir at Forge Mill Lake in the Sandwell Valley. The Agency said the design of this Phase is not yet complete, but it is likely it will involve construction of new embankments and a flood gate to control flows down the river.
Once completed, the works in the Sandwell Valley will work in combination with the Phase 1 works to reduce flood risk for residents and businesses in Perry Barr and Witton.
The Environment Agency has also been working with MADE, an organisation dedicated to improving the quality of cities, towns and villages, on the design of some elements of the scheme. The Agency has supported MADE and the local community on a new initiative, entitled ‘Tamed’ to aesthetically improve the flood walls throughout Witton.
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