SOMERSET residents have until the beginning of June to have their say on the latest plans to dredge the River Parrett and protect the Levels.

The Somerset Rivers Authority (SRA) has put forward proposals to dredge a section of the river between Stathe and its confluence with the River Tone and Burrowbridge.

The scheme will involve removing 22,000 cubic metres of sediment from the river, allowing larger quantities of water to be carried downstream and eventually out to sea near Bridgwater.

If the public react positively to the proposals, the work will be undertaken in the autumn.

The scheme is being taken forward on the SRA’s behalf by the Parrett Internal Drainage Board, working alongside Natural England and the Environment Agency (EA).

The money for the scheme is being provided by the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) as part of its Growth Deal funding – though the precise cost has not yet been published, due to commercial sensitivity.

The short section which would be dredged this time around is designed to compliment previous dredges elsewhere on the river, including water injection and pioneer dredging downstream of Burrowbridge carried out between 2016 and 2018.

It will also compliment the SRA’s ongoing work to increase capacity in the River Sowy and King’s Sedgemoor Drain, into which surplus water from the Parrett can be diverted.

SRA senior manager David Mitchell said: “Around 16 months’ hard work has gone into drawing up these plans for dredging between Stathe and Burrowbridge.

“We believe that the scheme we’re now proposing is a good scheme that will help us to protect people and properties, and enhance the environment.

“This will be the biggest new dredge that we’ve done on the Parrett since the summer of 2016.”

Two public consultation events will take place near the 2.2km stretch in question, allowing local residents to ask questions and put their views across.

The events will take place on the following dates:

Tuesday, May 14, noon-7pm – Burrowbridge Coronation Hall, West Yeo Road, Burrowbridge, TA7 0RH

Wednesday, May 15, noon-7pm – Great Bow Wharf, Bow Street, Langport, TA10 9PN

The consultation will run until June 1. If you cannot attend either of the consultation events, you can take part in the following ways:

Fill in the online feedback form at https://arcg.is/1PjGbT

Email your comments to admin@somersetdbs.co.uk

Post your feedback forms to the Somerset Drainage Boards Consortium, 33-34 Market Street, Highbridge, Somerset, TA9 3BW