Press release: Flood relief for villages in Worcestershire

Construction will start this summer on a £4 million flood storage area which will reduce the risk of flooding to nearly 300 homes and businesses in Broadway, Childswickham and Murcot.

The Environment Agency, Worcestershire County Council, Wychavon District Council, Broadway Parish Council and Childswickham Parish Council have been working in partnership and have now secured over £2 million Government Grant in Aid funding, enabling the scheme construction to begin. The Environment Agency’s English Severn and Wye Regional Flood and Coastal Committee have also contributed over £1 million. To enable access to the Government Grant in Aid funding under Defra’s Flood Partnership Funding Model, Worcestershire County Council and Wychavon District Council are contributing £555,000 and the local parishes have raised £312,000.

Broadway, Childswickham and Murcot were severely flooded in 2007 following record breaking rainfall across the area. The new flood storage area in Broadway will be able to hold up to 135,000 cubic metres of water during times of flood and will only allow a set amount of water to flow downstream at times of intense and high rainfall. This will reduce flood risk along the Badsey Brook downstream of Broadway.

The English Severn and Wye Regional Flood and Coastal Committee (RFCC) continues to support the scheme and provided funding which allowed the Environment Agency to purchase the 18 acre field where the majority of the flood storage area is to be located.

As a condition of the planning application detailed archaeological investigations, part funded by Worcestershire County Council, are being carried out. This involves excavation work and will reduce the risk of delays during construction. These ground works are almost complete.

Specialist contractors are currently on site carrying out tree clearance in preparation for the main flood scheme works.

Daniel Wilkinson, from the Environment Agency, said:

Flooding has a devastating impact on people’s lives and livelihoods, so it’s great that by working together with our partners we have managed to find a solution which means we are now one step closer to reducing the risk of flooding for residents living in Broadway, Childswickham and Murcot.

Cllr Anthony Blagg, Worcestershire County Council’s cabinet member for environment, said:

Now that the archaeological work is nearing completion, this project can move on to the next stage and closer to protecting homes and businesses with this innovative flood alleviation scheme.

Cllr Emma Stokes, portfolio holder for environment and street scene on Wychavon District Council, said:

It’s almost 10 years since the floods of 2007 but none of us will forget the devastating impact they had. This scheme will help reduce the risk of future flooding and provide greater protection to communities in Broadway, Childswickham and Murcot.

Kevin Beasley, from Broadway Parish Council, said:

We are very pleased that the flood alleviation scheme is progressing well and that the residents of both Broadway, Childwickham and Murcot will be more reassured that the properties are safer from flooding and the devastation that they have previously experienced, once the work is completed.

County Cllr for Broadway in Worcestershire, Liz Eyre BEM, said:

This project represents an enormous amount of hard work behind the scenes. I am simply delighted that sticking by the project, working with talented county and district officers at all levels and the Environment Agency has led to this, a real outcome for my residents.



News story: Synthetic Environment Tower Community of Practice

The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) is looking to expand its Synthetic Environment Tower of Excellence (SE Tower) Community of Practice (COP).

Since 2004, the SE Tower has provided a mechanism for the Ministry of Defence (MOD), industry and academia to work together on areas of research in simulation and synthetic environments. The SE Tower aims to develop UK defence capability in this area, and annually seeks to refresh its relationships with the supplier community by opening the COP to new members.

Last year, 11 members joined, bringing our total membership to 49, benefiting from twice-yearly Information Exchange Events (IEE) and access to the Shared Working Environment. The next event is planned for Wednesday 10 May 2017 where Dstl will once again be looking at ways to increase the mutual understanding and co-operation between the MOD and the sector.

Simulation and synthetic environments are used by MOD in a variety of ways, from supporting training, concept development and experimentation, to acquisition, evaluation and mission preparation.

We are now accepting applications to join the SE Tower COP until Friday 7 April 2017. Application forms can be found at the SE Tower website along with more information on the COP.



News story: Minister discusses barriers to voter registration for people with disabilities in Scotland

The Minister for the Constitution heard first hand some of the experiences that members have faced when voting or registering to vote. They discussed ways of encouraging other people with disabilities to engage in their local community and increase voter registration in the lead up to the local authority elections in Scotland in May.

The Glasgow Disability Alliance has over 3,500 members across the greater Glasgow area. Their aim is to bring people together to build confidence, create connections and enable people with disabilities to overcome barriers so they feel they can take part in their communities.

Chris Skidmore, Minister for the Constitution, said:

The Glasgow Disability Alliance is a fantastic organisation that ensures people with disabilities feel confident, empowered and remain an active part of their society.

A big part of this is being able to register to vote and remain a part of our democracy. Today’s visit has helped me understand how we can support people with disabilities to ensure that ours is a democracy that truly works for everyone.

Everyone I have met today has been so passionate about engaging their local community. This is particularly meaningful in the lead up to the local elections in May. Regardless of who you are, or how you vote, every voice matters and we encourage you to register to vote in what will be a significant moment for your area.

Marianne Scobie, Deputy CEO of the Glasgow Disability Alliance said:

As a disabled people’s organisation we know that disabled people want to have their say and have their voices heard. We firmly believe that given the right support, access to information and opportunity to build confidence and make their contributions, disabled people can participate in all aspects of participative democracy.

 Further information

The Minister is visiting Glasgow as part of his Every Voice Matters Tour. The tour will see him visit every part of the country to understand how to tackle barriers to voter registration.



Notice: HD2 1FF, Lubrizol Limited: environmental permit issued

The Environment Agency publish surrenders that they issue under the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED).

This decision includes the partial surrender letter, decision document and site condition report evaluation template for:

  • Operator name: Lubrizol Limited
  • Installation name: Huddersfield Chemical Industry
  • Permit number: EPR/AP3733LE/S011


Notice: CA10 3QG, Tata Steel UK Limited: environmental permit draft decision advertisement

Updated: The decision document has been amended to include the dates of the consultation period.

The Environment Agency consults the public on certain applications for waste operations, mining waste operations, installations, water discharge and groundwater activities. In some cases they also consult on draft decisions for environmental permits. The arrangements are explained in its Public Participation Statement
These notices explain:

  • the Environment Agency’s proposed decision and the reasons and considerations on which they’ve based this
  • additional relevant information available since the application was advertised
  • any information or guidance provided by the Secretary of State relevant to the application