THIS week marked the start of work on two schemes to protect communities on the Levels and Moors from future floods.

The road-raising at Muchelney and the introduction of four new culverts on the A372 at Beer Wall will mean the roads will be closed for 11 weeks.

The Beer Wall scheme will see four new culverts installed east of Langacre Rhyne, which runs alongside the Sowy under the A372.

Last winter, the road was flooded at this spot for several weeks and then closed to accommodate emergency pumping.

This first phase of the scheme will see a trench cut into the A372 where the culverts will later be installed.

A temporary bridge will span the trench so the road remains open for the winter.

In Muchelney, a 500m stretch of the Drayton Road from the village will be raised by over 120cm at the lowest point.

It is hoped that raising the road will maintain access to the village if there is a repeat of last winter’s flooding, which left the village totally isolated for weeks.

Somerset County Council leader Cllr John Osman said: “It has taken a huge amount of work and cooperation between organisations and agencies to bring this work to this stage so quickly.

“To see work starting on these schemes is a clear sign of the importance we and other agencies are placing on the Flood Action Plan. The plan can’t promise to stop flooding, but its actions can reduce its frequency, duration and severity.”