Burton Flood Risk Management Scheme Information

Overview

Updated 29 July 2021- next update due 31 October 2021

Background

Burton is entwined with the River Trent, its history is fundamentally linked to the river and its growth has depended on it.

Before the defences were built flood events regularly impacted on Burton.

Approximately 9km of defences; walls, embankments and high ground, first built as a result of the 1932 floods, currently protect Burton. Without these defences the town would regularly experience flooding.

On 17 February 2020, when the water level was at its highest, the defences stood firm. The photo below shows how the water reached up to the flood defences by Meadowside Leisure Centre and the library.

It was a reminder of how important it is to have good defences protecting Burton.

We last improved parts of the defences in 2005-07, known as ‘Phase 1’ of the current programme of works.

We are now at the final phases on phase 2, upgrading the rest of the defences, not tackled in 2005-07, and tying into phase 1, so that Burton has a single set of defences at the same level. The current works amount to about 3.7km of defence work.

The figure below shows red lines on the locations where we have improved the defences.

Our objectives for the Burton Flood Risk Management project are:

• To improve flood defences for over 4,500 homes and 1000 businesses
• To provide additional environmental improvements- work with partners, such as East Staffordshire Borough Council, to help achieve more than just flood defences
• Engage with the town and it’s communities to educate them about the flood risk and the defences - highlighting that the river is at the heart of this community

What we have done

We improved the quality of the defences currently already protecting Burton from river flooding.
Part of the current defences were at the end of their life span. If we didn’t improve the defences they could have ‘breached’ and cause parts of Burton to flood. 
The photos below show erosion to the previous embankment at Regatta Lane allotments, caused by high foot fall and the same location now the work has been completed.

Before

After

The scheme provides Burton with a better level of protection from the River Trent.

The main aim of this scheme is to improve the quality of the flood defences by using better material, such as sheet piling (driving metal plates into the ground) where required or replacing the current embankment with a clay core embankment. The method of construction is dependent on what was already in place and what space we have to work with.

More detail on what we are doing in your area can be requested by contacting the Public Liaison officer- details provided on the top right hand side of this page.

Project funding

Costs are currently approximately £25 million. The scheme is funded by flood defence grant in aid  Local Levy funding support and funding from Greater Birmingham Local Enterprise Partnership.

Timescales

We started construction in June 2019 and construction is now largely complete. After the 2020 flooding we identified a further area of concerns along the A38. We have started investigatory work on this location and expect to have completed this element of the scheme by March 2022.

For the main scheme construction is now complete. We have opened up most areas back to the public. In some areas fences remain in place whilst we allow the grass to grow. The fences will continue to be removed over coming months.

Opening Event

We celebrated the completion of the main scheme with a small scale Covid friendly opening event on 16 July 2021.

It was a great opportunity to reflect on the successes and the challenges of the scheme, which we managed to complete with minimal delays despite our working area being flooded two years in a row and the challenges we faced during covid

Burton Project Team members celebrating the opening of the Burton Flood scheme

The plaque commemorating the opening event on the new flood wall by the library

A38 works

As mentioned above, the 2020 flooding of 18 properties and the A38 identified concerns for flooding to 300 properties (in extreme flood events) in the area by Branston Water Park off the A38. After initial investigation in 2020 we developed a solution that could be delivered by the contractors delivering our main Burton scheme.

The work looks to contain water within Tatenhill Brook by stopping the surcharging of the highways drainage system, STWs drainage system and overtopping of the brook onto the A38. Walls and embankments will contain the water with non-return valves on the highways drains. This will prevent water getting into Severn Trent Waters system.

We are currently designing this work in detail, which has involved ground investigation works, environmental surveys, landowner engagement and vegetation clearance. 

We started construction in July 2021, with a view for this to be completed by March 2022.

Piling work on the A38 section of the scheme commenced on 27 July 2021

Engaging with communities

We have been engaging with residents along the flood embankment since late 2017 to make them aware of the planned work and to ensure that they can feed in any comments and concerns.

We continue to engage with residents as we are completing the works near their properties.  We have started engaging with residents on our new section of the works, by the A38, and held a virtual drop in session in December 2020.

We continue to liaise with people on our database, post newsletters in notice boards and to houses directly impacted by some of our work and remain available by phone and through our email. We have attended virtual  meetings over recent months  and will be happy to attend other virtual meetings where invited. 

You can sign up to our database by contacting the Public Liaison Officer on the details on the top right hand side of this page.

Environmental improvements -Washlands Strategy

We have supported East Staffordshire Borough Council (ESBC) in successfully securing £3m from Greater Birmingham Local Enterprise Partnership. This will enable additional public realm enhancements beyond the scope of the flood defence works around the library and leisure centre area.

The enhancements will create a feature wetland area with a boardwalk and improvements to the public realm.  ESBC will lead these works but we have delivered some of the public realm works where it forms part of, or is close to, the flood defence scheme.  We have now largely finished the flood defence works, but the public realm works may appear unfinished. They will be completed as part of phase 2 of the public realm improvements, led by ESBC between April 2021 and March 2022

The image below shows who is responsible for which part of the works in this location;

Blue areas have been enhanced as part of the flood defence works, as phase 1. Red area as part of phase 2 by ESBC.

More information about the vision can be found on: www.eaststaffsbc.gov.uk/washlands-project 

Please keep visiting our information page as we will be updating it every two to three months. Our next update is due 31 October 2021. This page will be open to the public until the end of construction in 2021.

Thank you for visiting our project information page.