Ross Flood Alleviation Scheme

A major engineering project to protect the town centre of Ross-on-Wye from a repeat of the devastating floods of 2000 has taken a huge step forward.

Herefordshire Council, which is spearheading the scheme, has entered advanced talks with landowners to free up land needed for the Ross Alleviation Scheme.

Under the project, which is estimated to cost £5 million, a 350 metre long tunnel running from Homs Road car park to Kings Acre car park will be built to channel water away from the Rudhall and Chatterley Brooks pressure point which caused the flooding of December 2000.
 
Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs), a statutory process ensuring that the rights of landowners affected by the scheme are fully considered, have now been published.

The Council has already been in talks with landowners for some time to ensure that the process is as smooth as possible.

Now the details of the orders have been made public and affected landowners are being encouraged to submit their comments.

The CPOs will ensure essential access is available for contractors to carry out the construction work.

Although Herefordshire Council does not need to retain ownership of any land, some of the permanent defence structures will need to be installed on private farmland.

The orders cover residential, industrial and commercial land.

Cllr Brian Wilcox, Cabinet Member (Highways and Transportation), said: “We’ve been working on this scheme for five years to protect Ross-on-Wye from a repeat of the serious flooding in 2000.

“The solution we have devised requires extensive engineering work which will be costly but is viable because of part funding from the Government through DEFRA. The CPOs process is designed to complement direct discussion and negotiations. The Council has published details of the orders in the Ross Gazette as well as erecting the appropriate site notices. Affected landowners have been notified and given details of the procedure for submitting comments,” he added.

To create the new flood defence, engineering work which will have to take place includes:

· The construction of a 350-metre tunnel (2.1 metres in diameter) running from Homs Road to Kings Acre car parks
· Improvements to the channels and culverts of the Rudhall and Chatterley brooks
· The creation of a flood storage area to the east of the A40

Herefordshire Council approved a planning application for the work in the summer of 2004.

The main scheme is expected to commence in spring 2006 and be completed within a year.

DEFRA will directly fund 45 per cent of the work and will provide borrowing powers to Herefordshire Council to meet the remaining balance.