Introduction

Telford & Wrekin Council has been awarded £1.2million funding, over the next three years, to provide flood protection measures to protect some of the business and residential properties most at risk of flooding in Ironbridge Gorge, that are not currently protected by existing permanent flood defences.

The work is expected to include two new permanent flood defence walls, at Dale End and Ladywood, along with additional flood protection measures for some of the most at-risk properties in the area.

The defences will be delivered in phases, and as we work through each phase we will be engaging with the properties involved to see what measures are most appropriate for them.

To sign up for updates on the project, please send your name and email address to flood@telford.gov.uk so we can add you to a project mailing list.

Frequently asked questions

The government providing this funding over a three year period, so the work will be phased over three years too, and we expect to complete the work by the end of 2026 / 2027.

We will be receiving this funding from government over a three year period, so will be completing the work as the money is made available to us. The projects will also require investigation and design prior to implementation at a range of sites along the 5km river corridor covered by the scheme.

We will be directly contacting the homes and businesses who will receive additional flood protection work, to identify the best solutions for those particular properties.

Although £1.2million sounds a lot, it is not enough for us to protect every building at risk of flooding in the Gorge, so we are starting with the currently unprotected properties that are most at risk of flooding, based on the Environment Agency’s flood modelling and historical flood data.

Flood modelling data from the Environment Agency, along with historical flood data is being used to identify the most at-risk properties and show where these funds will have the greatest impact.

There is no single solution for every property, so we will be getting in touch to work out what would be best for each individual situation. This includes considering additional waterproofing measures, pumps for preventing flood water build up, and flood doors. We will also be looking at larger scale schemes at Dale End and Ladywood where flood walls will benefit multiple properties. 

What is Property Flood Resilience (PFR)?

PFR is the collective term to refer to a host of measures which can be installed on an individual property to resist the ingress of flood water or make the property easily recoverable after a flood. This could include external waterproofing, installation of flood proof doors, raising internal electrics so they aren’t shorted and damaged by flood water and many others. These are often specific to an individual property and it is the job of a PFR surveyor to identify what will be most effective in each situation. 

When will the property surveys take place? 

Starting from Autumn 2024, but only once we have obtained agreement and contact details from you to facilitate the surveys.

What are the outputs of the surveys? 

The surveyors will produce a report covering a Hazard Assessment (an appraisal of flooding mechanisms and expected heights at the property) and an Options Appraisal (an appraisal of suggested measures to limit the impact of flooding to the property based on location, flood depth, building usage and construction type). There will be an opportunity for you to review these documents before they are issued. 

What are the next steps? 

After the surveys have been produced, these will be passed to our contractors, who will use them to determine the specific PFR products which would be suitable for each individual property. Once you and the council agree to this, you will be issued a legal agreement to ensure that responsibilities when it comes to the PFR measures are well understood. This is also an opportunity for you to identify any additional work you want to take place on your property over and above what we are able to cover through the Council led scheme. You will be able to discuss this with the contractor so that everything can be installed at the same time to limit disruption to you. 

Will planning permission be required? 

In many situations, it is likely that planning permission will need to be sought to allow modifications to property frontages in the World Heritage Site. It will be the project team’s responsibility to seek this planning permission before works can begin. 

When will the project end?

Once planning permission has been obtained and the PFR items have been ordered and installed, there will be a re-survey by the original surveyors who will sign off the contractors’ works, with your agreement. There will be a handover of the PFR items with a guide to operation and maintenance issued to you. Once this has taken place the project will be closed. 

What is the purpose of the legal agreement?

The purpose of the agreement is to formally agree what we The Council intend to install at your property in order to reduce the damages incurred if it should ever be flooded again. It provides assurances that you the property homeowner are comfortable with what we are proposing to install. A formal agreement also provides assurances to us that we will not expend further resources on securing planning permission or other surveys without a commitment from the property owner.

Who can sign the legal agreement?

Only the legal freeholder of the property can sign the agreement. If the property is tenanted, then we suggest that both the landlord and tenant agree on the PFR measures which are proposed.

What are my responsibilities?

After final delivery of the scheme and an independent installation quality audit, the property owner will become responsible for the storage, maintenance/repair and deployment of any PFR products which have been installed.

Is the design of the PFR set in stone after signing the agreement?

No, due to the complexity of delivering this scheme in a conservation area most properties will require planning permission which The Council will apply for on your behalf. If any changes are requested through the planning process we will need to update the design and will notify you accordingly of these changes.

Do I need to pay anything?

You will not need to pay anything immediately after signing this agreement. If within the legal agreement you have expressed the desire to keep your current door design for aesthetic reasons where a new flood door is proposed, we have provided the cost difference which you would need to pay. This difference would only become payable to The Council once the new flood door is installed. If; for planning reasons, a specific door design is required, The Council will pay the full value.