Flood-hit town gets £7m defences

The town was hit by flooding earlier this summer

A new £7m flood defence scheme is being installed in a Herefordshire town.

The defence will protect the Greytree Road, Millpond Street and Broadmeadows Industrial Estate areas of Ross-on-Wye.

The scheme has been in the pipeline since the severe floods of 2000. The town was also flooded when the River Wye broke its banks this summer.

Excess water from two brooks will be diverted away from Greytree Road into a new 350-metre long tunnel while further water will be stored near the A40.

The scheme was meant to begin in spring 2006 but was delayed by funding problems.

'Positive future'

The Homs Road car park will be closed until the works are completed in July 2008.

The number of spaces in Kings Acre car park will also be reduced and the entry and exit points temporarily altered until July 2008.

Councillor Anne Grey said: "I'm looking very positively at this for the future.

"With the threat of flooding removed from part of the town then tourism should be on the up therefore.

"And it's important that the local people who have been affected by this flooding will be more secure."