THE permanent barrier being built in Worcester will not solve the city’s flooding problems, readers believe.

Contributors to this website have been having their say on the city’s new £650,000 Hylton Road flood defences.

Many are convinced the Environment Agency’s engineering works can only form part of a wider flood strategy, to include dredging and the existing flood plains.

But agency staff insist there will be no knock-on effect for people along the river, while dredging could cause more problems than it solves.

Writing on our website worcesternews.co.uk, Feline, of Upton-upon-Seven, wrote: “I have sympathy with flood victims. I’m still living in a caravan after the floods of July 2007. “I hope the scheme helps Worcester residents, but it is not a broad solution. It is time to re-establish the flood plains on agricultural land.”

Windy Miller, of Lower Broadheath, added: “This will push the flood water over into Waterworks Road (Barbourne) and Diglis.

DermotItis, of Northwick, wrote: “The building of banks increases the river depth.

“Why not just dig the same depth out of the river bottom and make money selling this valuable resource?”

However, not everyone is convinced dredging would alleviate flooding.

Windy Miller, added: “Dredging has absolutely no effect on the river’s capacity to carry flood water.

“The river is six feet deep with a rock bottom. The floods can reach 25 feet on top of this.”

The first barge-load of construction clay – from Upton Marina extension works – was delivered to Hylton Road last week.

Ben Ashmore, a spokesman for the Environment Agency, said: “While dredging does increase capacity in the short term, it quickly silts up again. It could also impact the ecology of the river.”

He said an assessment of possible knock-on effects of the completed barrier found it would have “no significant impact” during flooding.

The agency recently carried out a consultation on a plan to use more agricultural land in the Severn flood plain.

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