A £17 million two and a half-year project to make Burton's flood defences 'more resilient' will help protect over 3,000 extra homes in the town, it has been revealed.

Works which will begin in October 2018 will see improvements to the 9km of existing defences which already protect more than 7,000 homes and businesses in Burton, with a further 3,358 properties set to benefit.

It is hoped that the work, which will be completed in March 2020, will enable further transformation of the town centre, according to the Environment Agency.

Flooding near the Ferry Bridge after heavy rainfall in Burton in 2000
Flooding near the Ferry Bridge after heavy rainfall in Burton in 2000

As part of the proposals, members of the Agency have been spotted in the town carrying out preliminary tests that are needed before any details are confirmed.

Will Groves, from the Environment Agency said: "We are progressing well with plans for our £17 million scheme to improve Burton's flood defences. We have recently been out to the existing defences to gather detailed information needed to properly plan the project. Over the coming months there will be more frequent visits as we finalise the details for the improvement works.

"There will be lots of opportunities later in the year for local people and businesses to come and talk to us about the improvements, and our programme of work."

Burton has flooded regularly over the centuries and 10 years ago the defences were put to the test when England and Wales suffered its worst ever flooding, with 16 inches of rain between May to July – the most since records began in 1766.

Mark Swain, who heads the Environment Agency's Staffordshire flood risk team, said: "Burton is a major transport and business centre.

Pictured are images of the flooding at St Peter's Bridge and near Stapenhill Gardens

"The defences have prevented flooding for 100 days in the last 30 years. The cost to families and businesses if those defences had not been there would have been astronomical.

"But we can't afford to rest on our laurels. That is why we are working with our partners and the people of Burton to protect thousands more homes and businesses for the future."

Relentless rain has seen flooding result in the cancellation of the town's regatta with one of the only remaining events being cut off in 2012 after extensive flooding.

In 2000 hundreds of homes and businesses in Burton were threatened by floods after the Environment Agency issued a severe flood warning for the River Trent and in 2004 a report revealed the town's river defences could not cope with a major deluge and announced plans to spend millions of pounds during the next five years to shore up the defences.

The regatta is a very popular event that is sometimes cancelled due to flooding

Do you remember when flooding struck in 1992?

One of the worst-hit areas in the floods of late November and December in 1992 was Willington. At the time, parish councillor Mavis Gaskin said the floods were nothing compared to what might happen in the future – and warned planners and developers that when the floods arrive, "we will tell you we told you so."

Willington was hit with flooding again in November 2016 while many readers will recall the widespread floods of November 2000.

Mrs Gaskin had added: "When Willington Power Station closes and stops taking water from the Trent, and when the Stoke to Derby A50 link road starts to drain into the river, we can expect it to get much worse."

In the floods of 1992, Repton Road in the village was flooded while the River Trent and River Dove rose to dangerous levels. Areas around Twyford and Barrow were badly hit and most football matches in South Derbyshire were cancelled.

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