Plans For Raised Road In Muchelney
2 July 2014, 15:17 | Updated: 2 July 2014, 15:24
Residents of the Somerset village Muchelney are being reminded to give their views on proposals for a raised road to secure access to the village in times of flood.
Somerset County Council is hosting the drop-in session between 3-8pm on Thursday 3rd June at the village church to share its proposals.
The scheme would see the first 500m of the Drayton Road from Muchelney raised by 60cm. This should maintain road access to the village if there is a repeat of last winter’s flooding that left the village cut-off for a prolonged period.
The scheme is being proposed as part of the multi-agency Levels and Moors Flood Action Plan. It is the Council’s preferred option following a feasibility study into possible ways of maintaining access.
People coming to the drop-in session can ask questions about the proposals and make comments on the proposals. Representatives from the Environment Agency will also be at the event.
Harvey Siggs, Cabinet member for Highways and Transport, said:
“I hope plenty of people come along tomorrow to find out more and tell us what they think. I’d urge people to give us their views as soon as possible as we need to move this project forward as quickly as possible.”
Councillor John Osman, Chairman of the FAP Leaders Implementation Group and Leader of Somerset County Council, added:
“The Flood Action Plan is a major piece of work involving many organisations working together. It’s complicated and I’m sure all partners are glad to see projects moving forward.”
Until tenders for the work have been received, the exact cost of the scheme will not be known. However, based on estimates from the feasibility study this option is considered the most affordable and could – subject to other factors such as the weather - be delivered this year.
The scheme is being undertaken as part of the Somerset Levels and Moors Flood Action Plan (FAP) which is being delivered by a range of agencies coordinated by Somerset County Council. As this is a Highways scheme, this work is the responsibility of the County Council.
The information available at the drop-in session will also be available on the Council website. People have up until 20 July to give their comments through the online survey but are encouraged to attend the event if they can and give their views as soon as possible.
The aim is for a decision on whether to proceed with the preferred scheme to be taken before the end of July. This will take into account the costs identified through the tendering process and comments received from the community.
