From The Gloucester Citizen:
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FLOOD RELIEF FOR CITY RIVERSIDE HOMES
14:00 - 10 June 2005
Redundant railway sidings on Alney Island are to be removed as part of a major flood relief programme for Gloucester. Campaigners have long said the Old Dock Branch sidings at Port Ham, Alney Island, should be scrapped as they act as a dam, increasing the likelihood and severity of floods.
But now the Environment Agency has come up with the ú210,000 needed to buy the stretch of embankment from Network Rail and will begin its removal.
Area flood risk manager Anthony Perry said: "We are delighted with this purchase. Our priority now is to pursue the removal of those areas of embankment which when lowered to floodplain level will provide the most improvement to flood flow.
"This will significantly lower the risk of flooding to properties in the Gloucester area and alleviate the misery this causes to the community."
The embankment is one of a number of obstructions built across Alney Island over the decades and its removal will be a step towards returning the area back to a functioning floodplain.
It will be of most benefit to the people of Pool Meadow, who are frequently affected by flooding, and will help restore wet grazing marsh and wet woodland habitats.
Flood expert Ray Armishaw, who lives at Alney Island, said: "I am happy that my original suggestion made some years ago to the Environment Agency has come to fruition.
"This will help relieve the pressure of water travelling across the floodplain and down the east channel to the quay."
But he added: "There's no way to solve the problem altogether. Some of the floods in the past far surpassed the 1947 one which they base things on."
The purchase was funded by the Regional Flood Defence Committee, raised through a levy on local authorities.
It is the latest in a line of initiatives to deal with flood levels at Alney Island.
Gloucestershire County Council has already removed part of the railway to the south of the sidings to replace the lost floodplain caused by the construction of the South West Bypass.
Part of the river bank on the east channel has also been lowered and heaps of river dredgings, which restricted river flow, have been removed.
But the news will not be welcomed by people living further downstream in Minsterworth and Corn Ham.
They have long campaigned for flood defences, but have been told Gloucester is a higher priority.
Speaking at an emergency meeting on Tuesday, farmer Steve King, who owns Moorcroft House Farm, told Mr Perry: "What you're saying is that you're not going to do anything to stop us getting flooded because it will affect Gloucester.
"This is our livelihood and if you won't protect us, then can we build our own defences instead?"
The Environment Agency is currently undertaking a review of flooding and flood risk management in the Gloucester area. The study should be completed by the end of the year.
Flood relief for city riverside homes (Gloucester)
I walked along this section of track about five years ago. It was clear even to my uninformed eyes that the railway was acting like a dam and flooding the nearbye ground.
After walking around it for a while I dived into some bushes alongside the river and found the remains of an old canal lock. Despite searching many maps since then, I've never found the lock shown on them, or have any idea where it connected to!
After walking around it for a while I dived into some bushes alongside the river and found the remains of an old canal lock. Despite searching many maps since then, I've never found the lock shown on them, or have any idea where it connected to!
If it was near where the railway crossed over the Severn, then it was Llanthony Lock. This connected the freshwater river, in the Lower Parting, with the tidal bit! It fell into disuse when the Glos-Sharpness Canal was built.madhattie wrote:After walking around it for a while I dived into some bushes alongside the river and found the remains of an old canal lock. Despite searching many maps since then, I've never found the lock shown on them, or have any idea where it connected to!
There was also a lock at Maisemore, in the Upper Parting, which again connected the freshwater bit with the tidal bit. That was used by canal boats to get to the start of the Hereford canal at Over lock.
Ian J
Thanks! I did a search on www.old-maps.co.uk and you're rightDorlan wrote:If it was near where the railway crossed over the Severn, then it was Llanthony Lock. This connected the freshwater river, in the Lower Parting, with the tidal bit! It fell into disuse when the Glos-Sharpness Canal was built.
It took me about two seconds to figure it out with your help. Of course, it was a real Homer Simpson 'Doh!' moment when I looked at the map.... so obvious...
