On Monday 6 November, the Environment Agency will be carrying out an exercise at the Hylton Road flood defence scheme in Worcester city centre.

The exercise will allow the Environment Agency field operations team to test the barrier deployment process, while also carrying out essential maintenance to parts of the demountable flood barriers which are in the highway.

This will mean that there will be some disruption caused during the exercise as Hylton Road will be closed to traffic between 6:30pm and 8:30pm. The path by the river will remain open to pedestrians.

Barry Killner from the Environment Agency said:

Exercises like this are essential for us to test our procedures and ensure an effective operational response, so that we are fully prepared for when flooding does occur. We are also using the closure of Hylton Road as an opportunity to carry out essential maintenance on our flood barriers across the highway, reducing future impacts to the businesses and residents.

Cabinet Member with Responsibility for the Environment, Councillor Tony Miller said:

Testing the processes and carrying out essential maintenance of our flood barriers, can only be a positive thing for the county. It contributes to the county being able to continue to function as normal as possible, during bad weather, lessening the impacts on the local residents and institutions such as schools and businesses.

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

This decision includes the part surrender notice, decision document and site condition report evaluation template for:

• Operator name: Unilever UK Limited
• Installation name: Gloucester Ice Cream Factory
• Permit number: EPR/AP3530KM/S004

The Environment Agency consults the public on certain applications for waste operations, mining waste operations, installations, water discharge and groundwater activities. The arrangements are explained in its Public Participation Statement

These notices explain:

• what the application is about
• how you can view the application documents
• when you need to comment by

The Environment Agency will decide:

• whether to grant or refuse the application
• what conditions to include in the permit (if granted)

The Environment Agency consults the public on certain applications for waste operations, mining waste operations, installations, water discharge and groundwater activities. The arrangements are explained in its Public Participation Statement

These notices explain:

• what the application is about
• how you can view the application documents
• when you need to comment by

The Environment Agency will decide:

• whether to grant or refuse the application
• what conditions to include in the permit (if granted)

Burton-upon-Trent residents will have a chance to learn more about the benefits of the Environment Agency’s multi-million pound flood scheme improvement work at a series of drop-in sessions next month.

The planned works to the town’s flood defences will see upgrades to the 9km of existing defences that already protect more than 7,000 homes and businesses in the town. The work will also see a further 3,358 properties benefit from increased protection.

The work is due to start in early 2019, with a completion date in early 2021 and will enable further transformation of the town centre to allow it to become more sustainable.

Drop-in sessions are being held at a number of locations across the town where Environment Agency staff will be on hand to discuss the scheme as well as to spread awareness about the need to be more flood resilient.

Mark Swain, who heads the Environment Agency’s Staffordshire flood risk team, said:

These sessions are a really important means for us to explain our work as well as to listen to residents. We would really like as many people as possible to attend one of our sessions so that they can discuss the exciting plans we have in place for Burton.

Sessions are being held as follows:

• Monday 6 November (5pm to 7pm) – Branston Golf Club pavilion
• Tuesday 7 November (5pm to 7pm) – Riverside Hotel
• Thursday 9 November (11am to 2pm) – Burton Library
• Thursday 9 November (3pm to 6pm) – Meadowside Leisure Centre
• Monday 13 November (5pm to 7pm) – Tesco, St Peter’s Bridge