Flooding in Coleham and surrounding areas in Shrewsbury on Thursday.
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00:00 Kate Halliday, you're the local councillor here. What's your reaction to what's happened today?
00:06 Well it's obviously really disappointing to see the water on the road and there's quite a few people who have already been flooded, businesses.
00:16 But I am quite pleased that the water hasn't gone any higher, so there's a number of businesses and shops that have been flooded in the last few years who haven't experienced it.
00:26 I'm just hoping it stays that way.
00:28 And are you hoping that the river level will go down soon?
00:32 I'm really hoping that it will. I think we may be at the peak, it might come up a little bit further just now.
00:39 But I'm really hoping that by the end of the morning this will start to go down, but I believe it's going to go down quite slowly.
00:48 I don't think the water is going to disappear from the road very quickly, but it hasn't been as high as it has been in some of the previous years.
00:59 You're also wanting to make the case for more flood defences for Colham?
01:03 I would love more flood defences for Colham. There was talk of perhaps having some, but the initial report from the Environment Agency seems to suggest that it might not be cost effective.
01:16 I'm obviously really disappointed about that. This is a really great area, it's got lots of thriving businesses.
01:23 It's kind of like a little village centre here. People travel to come here to go for something to eat and to shop in our fantastic shops.
01:32 It's a thriving part of Shrewsbury and I'd love there to be defences to stop what we're seeing here happening and businesses being disrupted.
01:43 So we'll wait and see, it's just the initial assessment. I'd love a chance to challenge it if possible, but I haven't seen the full report yet.
01:53 Businesses are open today I see.
01:55 Businesses are open, come down and get tea, coffee, shop. Businesses are running as usual and they really need your support.
02:05 They might need you well as if you're going to the Cross Foxes.
02:09 Yes, obviously don't wade through the water, but there's plenty of places open a bit further up the street here.
02:18 Thank you Kate.
02:20 So Darrell, we got you. Landlord of the Cross Foxes. Here we are again.
02:31 Again.
02:32 So you've got your pump going at the minute, that's Spanish in Titicella isn't it, that's done at the minute?
02:36 Yes, we have got water in the cellar, but at least we've got this pump going so we're keeping it to a level where it's not affecting the electrics.
02:45 Let's just check it over to you, we can actually see into the cellar.
02:50 So yeah, you said it's about a foot deep in there at the minute isn't it Darrell?
02:56 Yeah, it's well deep. So we're keeping that, it's not affecting any of the beer lines or any of the cutlings or any of the electrics, which is the main thing.
03:06 So after a good clean and scrub, we'll be able to push it back into action and get all the beer back in.
03:14 We've just had a look inside, it's a fantastic cosy pub, if people don't know, come down here and support.
03:20 We've got a great following, I've been inundated with phone calls this morning with people willing to come and help.
03:30 That's nice isn't it, that community spirit coming in times of need.
03:35 You were saying, your frustration for you is you've got the River Severn to the left of you here, but just down behind you is the Ree Brook.
03:43 It's the Ree Brook. And you're saying that's where the water, from your point of view, that's where it's coming from, flooding this end?
03:50 It's the junction up at the Seven Stars pub, it rises from the Brook, at the moment that's level now at the start, but it's slightly lower on the left hand side.
04:02 So it's coming over the Brook and flowing straight down the Brook into Colan and flooding us.
04:09 If we could add something, some sort of barrier.
04:13 Yeah, something there behind you, to stop it from that end.
04:17 To stop it flowing from there, then we have the pumps from the pumping station, and they'd be able to collect any sort of residue water that's coming down anyway.
04:27 Yeah, and how long have you been here as a landlord then?
04:31 As a family we've had the pub for 38 years. I've been here 30 years.
04:38 So go back to when you started, 30 years, how often were you getting flooded do you reckon then?
04:43 Hardly ever. And then we had the big flood from 2000. And since then it seems to be a regular occurrence.
04:55 Sometimes, the year before last, I think it was three times we were flooded in the year. And nothing seems to be done.
05:02 I think we're expendable this side of town. We've managed to keep dry Fragfell, Abbey Fallgate, Dry Rayshree.
05:10 Until they do something to stop it coming from the Brook at the top, then we're going to carry on.
05:20 So Ron, we've got the pump station behind you. It's a museum, but there is still the pump station there, isn't there as well?
05:27 It is still the town's pump.
05:29 Live sewage pumping station, yeah.
05:31 And this bit we've got flowing here, what's going on here then Ron?
05:33 Well this is what they call a combined drain and sewer. And this is actually dropping into the sewage in the middle of the road,
05:39 which then also goes into that compound there, which is all the town's sewage.
05:45 But unfortunately, the one by Dowell, where the cross foxes are there.
05:50 So yeah, we've just spoke to Dowell, so we can just get some perspective. So there's the cross foxes there on our left.
05:54 So just there, there's another one there.
05:56 There's another one there, which is blocked, as you can see, there's nothing going down it.
05:59 And there's another one by the lighthouse, which is blocked and there's nothing going down that.
06:03 Which would help us, because we're on the peak of the flood at the moment, but we are about half a metre lower than the peak of the Severn.
06:11 But it's running in there and this is what we try to get done through the Environment Agency and all the relevant bodies
06:19 to get a barrier put across there, which then we could control a lot better what's happening in Coldham.
06:25 Yeah, and looking at, like we were saying to Dowell, it doesn't look an impossible task does it?
06:30 You've got a natural barrier where the wall is, as you know already.
06:34 And what's, you've put your thoughts and your input into various meetings I believe in the past.
06:40 Yeah, we have, yeah.
06:41 And are you feeling that's been constructively listened to?
06:45 Well, no, we get the impression, to be honest, because there's only two residents, that's their words not ours,
06:51 there's only two residents that are affected, which are the ones just over the bridge, just before you get over the bridge.
06:56 They don't see it as a priority because it's all commercial premises.
07:00 Ah, so their view is commercial, insurance and so on.
07:04 When it's not residential, you kind of take a, they take a, I can't quite understand.
07:08 That's the opinion I get, it's not hard and fast, it's the opinion I get.
07:11 Yeah, yeah, yeah.
07:12 Yeah, that works.
07:13 Yeah.
07:14 [Unintelligible]
07:17 [Sound of water]
07:44 [Unintelligible]
07:53 What do you reckon to that then Mark?
07:55 Oh, fantastic.
07:56 Just to give a bit of perspective to it, you're a local businessman.
08:00 Yeah.
08:01 And you're trying to get to your unit at the back here, aren't you?
08:03 Yeah, it's too deep for the wellies.
08:04 Yeah, yeah.
08:05 And Ron offers to give me a lift.
08:07 Well done Ron.
08:08 Is there a toll fee?
08:10 No, no, not yet.
08:11 No, it's not in my pipe tonight I expect.
08:13 There you go Mark, cheaper half the price.
08:16 Indeed.
08:17 Hang on, get me a video going, come on.
08:19 Ron, you just pointed out, you've got markers there from previous floods and that, so come on mate, so where are we?
08:25 Well, I put an angle grinder mark across every flood level we've had.
08:29 Yeah.
08:30 So that gives me me back, or the back stores they call it these days, the previous floods.
08:34 So it gives me some insight into actually what is going to happen.
08:37 So where was that, that top one, was that the 2000?
08:40 That's the 2001 which was the highest one.
08:43 And it was within the range of the 1947 one, I won the live there by the way.
08:48 Yeah, yeah.
08:49 Morning, how's it going?
09:02 We've only recently done the barrier, haven't we?
09:05 In the last few years.
09:07 2000?
09:08 Yeah.
09:09 Go on Ron.
09:11 I just want to explain it to you.
09:13 Yeah, go on, chuck my gutter.
09:14 Well that, that is pumping from the gyratory to keep the gyratory dry.
09:18 Yeah.
09:19 Through this pipe here, down that manhole there, and into here which is the main sewer.
09:23 And that goes down to the current pumping station up there, and then pumps up the mountain water to the ridge farm.
09:27 Obviously at this level it's overwhelming.
09:30 Yeah.
09:32 [water flowing]
09:35 [water flowing]
09:37 [water flowing]
09:45 [water flowing]