Culvert will combat village flooding

A MAJOR £2.4million project which will minimise flooding and improve safety in Snitterfield was officially opened last week.

The creation of a new bypass culvert in the town was approved by the county council following an investigation which revealed that the existing culvert was in a state of disrepair, potentially putting residents at risk.

Part of the culvert collapsed in January 2015, causing a large hole in a resident’s garden.

The new culvert, which was opened by Stratford MP Nadhim Zahawi on Friday, will significantly reduce the risk of river flooding along The Green protecting 21 nearby properties.

Stratford MP Nadhim Zahawi said: “This was a project of enormous complexity which I inherited from my predecessor John Maples back in 2010. The completion of the culvert will make a huge difference to the residents of Snitterfield and they will now be able to sleep more comfortably and safely.

“At the beginning we had to convince the landowner to support the project and I’m happy to say that I played a small part in doing that.”

Whilst residents in Snitterfield agreed that the work was needed, the construction of the new culvert has not been without its problems for local businesses.

Road closures put in place last year badly affected retailers such as Snitterfield Village Stores and the neighbouring The Snitterfield Arms pub, which both reported dramatic falls in trade.