Work could start as early as next winter
The project to create a seasonal wetland by slowing the flow of the upper Birket and returning it to its historic flood plain has received the go-ahead. The project will be managed by Cheshire Wildlife Trust and fully funded by the Environment Agency’s flood management scheme. A majority of councillors supported the plan with only Conservative councillors voting against.
Consultation on the project will take place soon. The fields already flood in extreme weather events. This scheme would make this a more controlled process, retaining water and keeping it away from properties. There will also be huge benefits for wildlife, especially birds.
Green Party campaigner Jane Turner says “I have wanted this to happen for the 40 years I have spent surveying the Carrs for wildlife. The fact that it will also hold back more than 18 Olympic swimming pools worth of flash flooding makes it a “no brainer. I’m frankly astonished that local Tories don’t want this.”