The Environment Agency, in partnership with Wiltshire Council,
Bradford-on-Avon Town Council and Wessex Water, has concluded
that a permanent flood scheme for Bradford-on-Avon is currently
unviable.
A review of a proposed flood scheme from 2017, which involved low
walls and pumping stations, found that costs have risen
significantly, increasing from £4.5 million to over £11 million.
This is not possible with the current central government funding
available.
Efforts to find more cost-effective alternatives—such as
replacing permanent surface water pumping with temporary
pumps—would still require around £1.7 million in additional
partnership funding.
After discussions with partners, no funding opportunities have
been identified to bridge this gap.
Bradford-on-Avon's historic character is vital to its tourism and
local economy, adding further complexity to designing a flood
scheme that balances protection with preservation.
While the proposed 2017 scheme was designed to be more in keeping
with the town's character, it would still have been overtopped by
flooding during Storm Bert in November 2024.
Weighing up these considerations, partners have agreed that a
permanent flood scheme is financially unviable at this time.
Even if a scheme were possible, the flood risk benefits would not
outweigh the potential harm to the town's historic and economic
importance.
A range of alternative flood management options—including
dredging, upstream and underground flood storage, automated
barriers, a bypass channel, natural flood management and
temporary barriers—have been explored, but each was found to be
either ineffective, impractical or also financially
unviable.
Moving forward, the Environment Agency, Wiltshire Council, and
the Town Council will focus resources on strengthening
community-level flood resilience. Residential properties may be
eligible for Property
Flood Resilience (PFR) measures.
Committed to supporting community
Ron Curtis, Operations Manager from the Environment Agency,
said:
We understand this will be disappointing news for those affected
by recent flooding, and we recognise the ongoing challenges faced
by the community.
We remain committed to supporting Bradford-on-Avon in adapting to
flood risks through community resilience measures.
This does not mean that a permanent scheme will never be
possible, as changes in government policy, funding availability
or advancements in technology could create future
opportunities.
We continue to ask residents and businesses to check their flood risk.
The Environment Agency, Wiltshire Council, Bradford-on-Avon Town
Council and Wessex Water are hosting a flood drop-in session on
Monday 21 July at Holy Trinity Church, Bradford on Avon, BA15 1LW
from 2 - 6:30pm.
With national expert “Flood Mary” Mary Long-Dhonau OBE in
attendance with the Flood Pod, this event will allow the
community to ask questions, discuss concerns, and learn more
about flood resilience measures and ongoing efforts to manage
flood risk in the area.
Councillor Jack Vittles, Mayor of Bradford on Avon, said:
We're pleased to be able to facilitate this valuable opportunity
for the Environment Agency, Wiltshire Council and Wessex Water to
come and update residents on their work regarding flooding in the
town.
These agencies will explain their plans, share their flood
resilience support and highlight the opportunities to enable the
town to prepare for future flooding events. This is the
perfect chance for residents and businesses to drop in, ask
questions, discuss concerns directly with them and pick up advice
on making your property as resilient as possible.
I'd like to thank all the agencies involved for engaging so
positively with our community and look forward to hearing what
they can do for Bradford on Avon and our residents.
Background
More information on the Bradford on Avon drop-in session on July
21 is available on the Bradford on Avon Council
site here.
