Rugeley Flood Scheme Officially Opened

The Environment Agency yesterday announced the official opening of new flood defenses in Rugeley, Staffordshire.

Members of the Environment Agency, Cannock Chase District Council, the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), Rugeley Town Council, Staffordshire County Council and the Trent Regional Flood & Coastal Committee were yesterday in the town to celebrate completion of the project.

The Rugeley flood scheme will help to reduce the risk of flooding from the Rising Brook for 114 residential and 159 commercial properties. It also forms an integral part of Cannock Chase District Council’s plans to regenerate parts of the town center, reported the Environment Agency.

Work on this £5.2 million project, which started in December 2016, saw construction of a 350m long embankment, which is 4m high at its highest point, on Hagley playing fields.

This embankment has created a flood storage area which will store water from the Rising Brook during times of heavy rainfall and then slowly release it back into the watercourse when levels no longer pose a flood risk.