Key road over Somerset Levels “at risk” of being lost to future flooding
During the 2013/14 floods, the small hamlet of Muchelney was cut off for around ten weeks
A key road over the Somerset Level is “at risk” of being lost if major flooding events continue, local councillors have warned.
During the 2013/14 floods, the small hamlet of Muchelney was cut off for around ten weeks when all four of the roads leading out of the settlement were submerged.
Somerset County Council organised a support boat boat to ferry residents to and from the nearby town of Langport for more than nine weeks until the waters finally began to recede.
In February 2015, work was completed on a scheme to raise 500 metres of Law Lane, ensuring that Muchelney could remain connected to the neighbouring village of Drayton should another flood event on the same scale take place.
But local councillors have now warned that this road could be at risk of failing if action is not taken to reduce the local flood risk.
Councilor Mike Stanton, chairman of the Somerset Rivers Authority (SRA), raised the issue when Somerset Council’s executive committee met in Taunton on March 11.
Mr Stanton – whose Curry Rivel and Langport division includes both Drayton and Muchelney – said: “One of the big pieces of work that was done after the 2013/14 flooding was to raise the level of the road between Drayton and Muchelney to make it into a causeway, so that Muchelney wouldn’t be cut off.
“This near-flood event, which thankfully in the end didn’t flood very many properties across Somerset, got very near to the top of that causeway.
“That’s ten years of climate change and rainfall, and maybe a bit of natural subsidence – we’re constantly playing catch-up to keep up with what the climate is doing to us.”
Law Lane lies on the River Parrett Trail long-distance footpath, which runs along the length of the river and provides an attractive route into Langport for tourists and dog-walkers.
Councillor Richard Wilkins, portfolio holder for transport and waste services, said it was “increasingly hard” to protect Somerset’s road network in light of limited local government resources.
Mr Wilkins (who represents the same division) said: “The causeway between Drayton and Muchelney is at risk – that was put in to prevent the latter from being cut off.
“There’s an issue in that area between School Farm and The Potteries, which also floods and cuts Muchelney off from Thorney and Kingsbury Episcopi – that has a devastating effect.
“It must be noted that the Muchelney to Langport road has not reopened yet due to flooding – and as a result of a road closure in Langport, it probably took an hour and a half for people to get from one side of the town to the other. I don’t think that’s acceptable.
“If Drayton also was to be cut off, Muchelney would again be an island.
“I’m very keen that we really do pursue the EA to put in better, more permanent pumps. We’re not getting rid of the water fast enough.”
Mr Stanton said: “I and other have been having a lot of conversations with the EA about getting permanent pumps rather than having temporary pumps in.
“It was every 50 years, then it was every ten years, and now it seems to be every two years. It’s a big issue for them to tackle, and we’ll keep the pressure on them.”
The SRA board will discuss which projects it will be prioritising for the next 12 months when it convenes in Yeovil on Friday morning (March 20).