At the Parish Council meeting on 24 April 2026 Councillor David Lane, Ward Councillor Dan Hurcomb, and Jacob Loughran from the Severn Rivers Trust, gave a presentation on three measures to reduce flood risk in the parish. You can view the full presentation by clicking on the link below. (NB: you do not need to have PowerPoint to view the slideshow).
Orleton Flood Alleviation Scheme, 2026-27
You can also read the three reports that are cited in the presentation:
WSP – Culvert Assessment Technical Note
WSP – Hydraulic Modelling Technical Note
Dear Neighbour
For two years now Orleton Parish Council has been working with our Ward Councillor, Dan Hurcomb, to resolve highway flooding. This has been a severe and persistent issue, principally affecting the B4361 near Townsend Farm, the Maidenhead junction, Millbrook Way and Ashley Walk.
Most recently these efforts have resulted in a detailed and forensic examination of the causes of the flooding and potential solutions. This has been carried out by engineering consultants WSP, employed by the Highway Authority.
The most startling finding of this work is that the modification of a culvert in 1988 by Leominster District Council is largely responsible for this highway flooding. The culvert, located near Townsend Farm, is significantly under-sized and unable to cope with even modest rainfall. This results in water from the brook being displaced onto the B4361, from where it flows into the village via the Maidenhead junction.
The second result of this work is that a scheme has been designed to redirect highway drainage from the B4361 at the Maidenhead junction around the village – effectively removing the flows which would otherwise have converged at Millbrook Way bridge.
At present, modelling is taking place to determine by how much the existing culvert will need to be enlarged, which must be sufficient to allow flows to pass within the bed of the brook, but retain some element of ‘choke’ to limit the risk of flooding in the village.
Meanwhile, the final design work is being carried out on improvements to the capacity and design of drainage around the Maidenhead junction. When this is completed, this work can be put out to tender with contractors.
The timetable for progress on this scheme is still being finalised, but we understand that a final decision on commissioning the resulting works is likely to be taken later in 2025.
In addition to these activities, the Land Drainage Authority, working with Cllr Dan Hurcomb, is also formulating proposals to construct overspill attenuation ponds on land made available through the generosity of a local farmer. These ponds will provide additional storm water storage higher up the catchment area during severe weather events, reducing still further the risks of drainage systems being overwhelmed.
What will the practical effects of this scheme be?
- Flooding of the B4361 will decrease in frequency and in severity.
- Improvements to the capacity and design of drainage at the Maidenhead junction will ensure that surface water on the highway will be captured and re-directed around the village, significantly reducing flooding at this location.
- Drainage and surface water flows from the highway will no longer converge in the area around Millbrook Way bridge and Ashley Walk, reducing the risk of surface water flooding at this location.
- The frequency of road closures due to flooding will reduce.
This scheme will be transformative and will represent the single largest investment in highway drainage and flood alleviation measures in Orleton in a generation. It will also provide greater resilience in the face of climate change and more extreme weather events.
We will continue to work with all stakeholders to secure the delivery of this scheme and to update residents. However, we would like to acknowledge and thank local residents, Mark Wetton and Mike Harries, for their work in contributing to these proposals and for the work of Cllr Lane, our Land Drainage Lead, and Ward Cllr Dan Hurcomb who has advocated for this scheme at county level.
Alison Morgan
Clerk to Orleton Parish Council
21 July 2025