Environment Agency complete Rising Brook repairs

The Flooding that occured in this area in 2003 made us all very aware of the threat of flooding.

After the floods occured there was a detailed analysis to find any weak points which might have contributed to flood damage, and a  number of projects were put in place to help minimise the possibility of future flood damage to property.

I think that residents of the Rising Brook area will be pleased to hear that The environment agency have written to inform me that they are now putting the finishing touches to a repair scheme on the Rising Brook in Stafford, which began in late January 09. The scheme is designed to restore the capacity of the channel through the Rising Brook area.

The works have included repairs to a number of existing river channel units, which have collapsed over time. The section upstream of the river footbridge in the playing field area has been restricting flows due to the collapsed units. In this section 30 metres of new concrete units have been installed.

Andrew Mandle, Project Manager for the Rising Brook Scheme said: “We are really pleased with the progress of this project. This work will reduce flooding due to blockages and flow restrictions and make it easier for us to maintain the channel in the future.”

The main purpose of the works was to reduce the obstructions in the channel and help prevent debris from accumulating during a flood. This will reduce flood risk and the new works will also help to protect the channel from further erosion damage.

There is now an annual program of maintenance in place to ensure that the waterways act as effectively as possible in the case of flooding. 

If anyone needs more information about the work that has been carried out in Rising brook they can contact  Emily Poyser on 0121 711 5855/5829

Website: www.environment-agency.gov.uk