ANSWERS to flooding issues found in schemes used on the River Severn could be used in many other parts of the UK senior Powys County Council councillors learned as they received an update on the work of the Severn Valley Water Management Scheme (SVWMS).

Powys council is collaborating on the scheme with Shropshire council and the Environment Agency in England and the UK Government has already provided £10 million for the scheme.

The essence of the scheme is about finding ways of managing and slowing down flood water by setting aside land for water storage and building structures such as embankments.

Over the weekend, Storm Claudia brought heavy rain across Wale, causing problems in and around Welshpool and the Severn Valley – but also causing devastating floods in Monmouth.

Council leader, Cllr Jake Berriman said: “Thankfully we avoided the worst of the storm over the weekend but our neighbours in Monmouthshire were not so lucky and as our thoughts go out to them – it’s really prescient that we take this matter very seriously.”

Later in the debate, former council leader Cllr James Gibson-Watt brought up the “disastrous” floods that have been suffered by the residents of Monmouth.

Cllr Gibson-Watt (Liberal Democrat – Glasbury) said “The river that flooded wasn’t the Wye but the Monnow.

“Knowing that area quite well and the source of the Monnow and the topography at its head, that area is ripe for these sorts of schemes and strategies that are being proposed in this.

“The lessons of this scheme can be very widely applicable

“There is extensive wetland at the source of the Monnow.

“The problem is that it is a very fast river.

“In certain sections it’s a very steep river and this makes matters worse when you get to the lower reaches when you have the introduction of the Dore river which is in winter quite a substantial tributary and almost dries up in the summer.

“I wanted to point out this isn’t just about the Severn Valley.

“This will provide us with answers; it will be looked at very closely from around the UK.”

Cllr Berriman added: “This is a sector leading approach to get to grips with the problem with all parties involved.”

Councillors unanimously backed going ahead with extensive consultation on the Severn Valley Water Management Scheme.

The source of the Monnow is near Carswell on Cefn Hill in the Black Mountains, which is around seven miles away from Hay-on-Wye.

The River Honddu also joins the Monnow on its way down to Monmouth where it flows into the River Wye.