Historic canal will be used as key flood defence after regeneration
The Environment Agency says it'll be able to become a flood relief channel after the £5.2 million upgrades of Northgate Docks as part of the Town Deal
An historic Somerset canal will still be used as a key flood defence even after part of it has been regenerated.
The Bridgwater and Taunton Canal runs from the Firepool Lock in Taunton to the Northgate Docks in Bridgwater, connecting the River Tone to the River Parrett downstream of their natural confluence at Burrowbridge.
During the heavy rains of September 2023, the canal was used as a flood relief channel to prevent the River Tone from over-topping and threatening properties in the Firepool area.
The Environment Agency (EA) has confirmed that this practice could continue even after the Northgate end is regenerated as part of the £23.2m Bridgwater town deal.
Within the Bridgwater town deal, a total of £5.2m has been allocated towards regenerating the Northgate docks – of which £4.2m will be spent on the site itself, while the remaining £1m will fund walking and cycling improvements to improve Bridgwater’s existing active travel network.
Louise Darch, one of Somerset Council’s planning officers, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service in October 2023: “We want to look at the redevelopment of the docks for leisure and residential moorings.
“We’re looking at various different activities which can be provided on the docks, including canoeing, paddle-boarding and potentially swimming. We’re looking to be on site for the redevelopment in 2025.”
The active travel elements will connect the docks up to existing cycle routes, connecting the site to the town centre and commercial sites like the Express Park.
The docks also form the western terminus of the Celebration Mile, which runs through the town centre to the town’s railway station – three sections of which will be delivered within the Bridgwater town deal at a cost of £9m.
The EA has confirmed it will still consider using the canal as a flood relief channel in the future should it prove necessary, saying it will not impact on either the regeneration efforts.
A spokesman said: “If the need arises in the future, we will continue to make use of the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal to pump surplus flood waters into it from Northmoor.
“This practice will not have a negative effect on the Northgate Docks proposal, and staff from the EA, the Bridgwater tidal barrier project team and the Wildfowl and Wetland Trust (WWT) are embedded in the town deal initiative to ensure continuity.”
The Bridgwater tidal barrier – which is due to be operational by early-2027 – is designed to prevent water flowing up the River Parrett on the incoming tide, putting properties in and around Bridgwater at risk.
On outgoing tides, the barrier’s flood gates will allow water flowing into the Parrett – from the Tone and off the Moors – to flow into the Bristol Channel at a controlled rate.
At the Taunton end of the canal, the EA and Somerset Council intend to raise the flood defences around the Firepool Lock canal gates, as well as constructing higher defences between Firepool and Obridge, in order to protect the existing homes, the Firepool regeneration site and both the Crown and Priorswood industrial estates.
Planning applications for these schemes and a separate project at Frieze Hill are expected to be submitted to the council by late-March 2024, meaning work could begin by the end of 2024 if approval is granted.
The South Somerset Astronomical Society will shortly begin upgrading the solar system walk along the length of the canal, installing new interpretation boards and QR codes along the route to make it a more appealing attraction.
The project is being carried out in partnership with the Canal and Rivers Trust, with funding being provided by North Petherton Town Council, Taunton Town Council and West Monkton Parish Council.