Sustainable drainage measures installed in Battlefield in Shrewsbury

Shropshire Council and its consultant, Mouchel, have recently completed work to install Sustainable Drainage (SuDS) measures at Battlefield in Shrewsbury.  The new installation takes runoff from the A49.

The measures form part of the Shropshire “Slow the Flow” project being delivered with Shropshire Wildlife Trust and the Environment Agency, and aims to capture and slowly release surface water before it can cause flooding downstream.

The area around Battlefield roundabout has been seriously affected by flooding in the past, and by holding water back the risk of repeat flooding will be reduced.

The project involved removing the traditional highway gullies along a length of the A49, and lowering the kerbs. Water flowing from the highway then enters a ‘swale’ which allows it to naturally soak away. In larger storms, the swale fills up and holds water, before eventually overflowing back into the existing drainage system. The result is that much less water will flow from this area into the drainage system downstream which will, in turn, reduce flooding.

Further sustainable options to reduce flows from other parts of the catchment are also being investigated.

Mal Price, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for regulatory services and housing, said:

“This part of the project is an important first step, and helps to demonstrate the council’s commitment to sustainable drainage measures and reducing flood risk. I look forward to seeing how the rest of Shropshire’s Slow the Flow project progresses.”

Simon Jones, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for highways and transport, said:

“It is great to see the council demonstrating how sustainable drainage measures can be used effectively on the highway to reduce flood risk. We will monitor the measures at Battlefield, and look to install similar measures elsewhere around the county as part of our day-to-day work.”