Work has begun on the scheme that will see the misery of floods, such as those experienced recently in Brookend Street, become a thing of the past. Martin Jackson, construction project team leader at Herefordshire Council said the main work on the Ross Flood Alleviation Scheme will commence in September and preparatory work has already begun. He was speaking at a meeting chaired by Councillor Brian Wilcox at the Chasedale Hotel on July 5th. The scheme's purpose is to give protection at a 1% risk of flooding in any year. The contractors are Edward Nuttalls. Consultants, Halcrow, designed the project which is being managed by Owen Williams. Construction of a 350 metre long, 2.1 metre diameter tunnel running between the Homs Road and Kings Acre car parks will take place from September to April 2008. Culverts will be constructed from September to December, and work on a bund east of the A40 will begin in September. The scheme will be completed in July 2008. Retired engineer, Keith Horne, asked what was happening regarding the Smallbrook culvert. Martin Jackson said they were satisfied with the culvert as it was. Details of a survey carried out by Mr Horne had been passed to the original consultants, Halcrow. Nigel Mummery asked where the responsibility would lie if there was an error in the general calculations and he was told that it would lie with Halcrow. Simon Porter asked if the brook would burst its banks behind Morrisons at any time and Martin Jackson said they were satisfied that it would not. The site office and storage compound will be next to Morrisons. Mr Mummery said because the scheme would cause disruption to Ross, people should be kept informed. Councillor Wilcox said: "The contractors have agreed that everything will be open and everyone will be kept informed of progress. That is why I invited The Ross Gazette to this meeting. During the work there will be a lot of pain, but at the end there will also be a lot of gain." Matt Atkinson, of Nuttalls, said: "Our object is to leave a good legacy with Ross. This is a good scheme and we want you to feel good about it." The Ross Flood Alleviation engineering works will include construction of a 350 metre long, 2.1 metre diameter tunnel (termed an inverted siphon) running between the Horns Road and Kings Acre car parks, 10 metres below ground. There will be general channel improvements to the Rudhall Brook in Rope Walk Meadow, bank reinforcements and spillway to control flows to the east of the A40, and a 3.5 metre x 1.5 metre 150 metre concrete culvert below the railway embankment. In addition there will be channel enlargement in Broadmeadows and the culvert at the caravan park. There will be the creation of a water storage area to the east of the A40, by the construction of an earth bund up to approximately 1.7 metre high. Short-term traffic management measures will be required at certain periods. This includes the construction of a temporary access of A40 east bound carriageway near the caravan park. Long-term road closures are not planned but rights of way will be temporarily diverted at Homs Road car park and at the A40 eastwards at the caravan park. Homs Road car park will be closed and the number of spaces in Kings Acre car park reduced from early September to enable the construction of the tunnel. An A4 leaflet about the scheme is to be distributed.)
