Badsey Brook flood risk management scheme
Updated 28 February 2019
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The Badsey Brook catchment runs from the Cotswold Hills through the communities of Broadway, Childswickham, Murcot, Wickhamford, Badsey and Aldington to the River Avon. It consists of both the Badsey and Bunches Brook and other minor tributaries.
The area suffered from extensive flooding in 2007 and 2012, with roads and properties affected. Following the 2007 floods, the Environment Agency began drawing up plans to reduce the risk of flooding in the Badsey Brook catchment.
We are very pleased to confirm that the construction works are now complete and the scheme is operational and reducing flood risk to homes, businesses and roads. Thank you to everyone who attended the scheme’s official opening on Thursday 4 October and for all of the positive feedback we have received.
The flood storage area is now reducing flood risk for 300 homes and businesses along Badsey and Bunches Brook in Broadway, Childswickham and Murcot.
Scheme detail
The scheme consists of an earth embankment and a concrete control structure to hold water back within the flood storage area. This will remain dry during normal conditions. During periods of high rainfall, the online control structure within the channel will limit the amount of water flowing down the brook. The storage area can hold up to 135,000 cubic metres of water. This is approximately the size of 54 Olympic swimming pools.
The scheme is designed and constructed to a high engineering standard in order to comply with the Reservoirs Act 1975. The standard of protection to individual properties will be dependent on the distance from the reservoir and the individual property floor level.
It is important to recognise that although the scheme will provide significant benefits in terms of reducing flood risk from the Bunches /Badsey Brook there is still the residual risk of flooding from other sources. This could lead to flooding of roads, low lying land and some properties.
Water causing flooding can come from different places, for example from rivers, surface water (overland flow), overflowing or backing up of sewer or drainage systems which have been overwhelmed or from groundwater rising up from underground aquifers.
Flood Warning Service
We are currently exploring options for the future flood warning service. The warning service will alert the public when the storage area is filling and overtopping. The aim is for the service to be live by summer 2019.
Telemetry and sensors are now installed onsite and there is also a gauge downstream in Childswickham so we can monitor river levels remotely as required. We also aim to make these river levels available to the public on the internet.
Community engagement
The Environment Agency held the scheme’s Official opening ceremony on Thursday 4 October 2018. Nigel Huddleston MP, Councillor Liz Eyre and Tony Jones (retired Chief Engineer from Wychavon District Council) were there to officially unveil a plaque and bury a time capsule.
There was also an opportunity to walk the site after to view the new Flood Storage Area and members of the project team were available to answer any questions.
The Environment Agency would like to thank everyone for attending and for all of the positive feedback we have received following the event.
Contact
Please contact our 24 hour Floodline service on 0345 988 1188 for any ongoing flood related queries or advice. To find out more about this scheme you can contact the Environment Agency at pso.midswest@environment-agency.gov.uk.