Council to consider next step in £10m Severn Valley water management project
Senior councillors are being urged to back the next major phase of the Severn Valley Water Management Scheme (SVWMS) — a cross-border project designed to tackle flooding, water shortages and land-use pressures across the upper Severn catchment.
The scheme, which has already secured £10 million in UK Government funding, aims to create a long-term, sustainable water management strategy for the region.
Led by the Environment Agency in partnership with Natural Resources Wales, Powys County Council, and Shropshire Council, the project is funded by Defra and could serve as a model for future water management initiatives across the UK.
Recent hydrological modelling has revealed the scale of the challenge facing the area. During periods of extreme rainfall, the upper Severn catchment could need to manage more than 100 million cubic metres of floodwater — enough to meet the daily water needs of half a million people for nearly four years.
Cllr Jake Berriman, Leader of Powys County Council, said the figures underlined the urgency of coordinated action.
“This staggering figure highlights the scale of the challenge and the importance of finding solutions that work for everyone,” he said.
“The SVWMS offers a chance to reduce flood risk, boost farming, improve water supply, and create new opportunities for biodiversity, recreation, and local business.”
At its meeting on November 18, Powys County Council’s Cabinet will be asked to:
- Confirm the council’s commitment as a key partner on the SVWMS Joint Project Board to ensure local communities benefit fully.
- Approve a new round of public and stakeholder consultation, allowing residents, landowners, and businesses to have their say.
- Authorise officers to continue cross-border work with partners through the Marches Forward Partnership to maintain strong collaboration.
Independent analysis commissioned by the scheme found that a single major flood event in the upper Severn catchment could cause between £111 million and £125 million in economic damage if it occurred next year.
That figure could rise to £231 million by 2050 as climate change increases the frequency and intensity of extreme weather.
Cllr Berriman said the scheme represented “a real opportunity for Powys and Shropshire to work together and make a difference for our communities.”
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The problem is the Elan cascade sequence and the Clywedog reservoir upstream. No longer used to prevent surges in periods of high rainfall. Managed so the outflow is tempered to provide downstream steady abstraction rates for export to England. It would be far better to drain the reservoirs to low levels at the end of summer in September, ready to hold up any surges that occur in October and November. What the bogs would do if the reservoirs were not there.