Cabinet asked to back progress for Severn Valley Water Management Scheme

11 November 2025

Powys County Council's Cabinet is being asked to back the next big step for the Severn Valley Water Management Scheme (SVWMS) - a project that's already secured £10 million of Government funding to help tackle flooding, water shortages, and land pressures across the upper Severn catchment.

Recent modelling for the SVWMS shows that, during extreme wet weather, the area could need to manage over 100 million cubic metres of flood water, which is enough to supply the daily needs of half a million people for nearly four years.

Cllr Jake Berriman, Leader of Powys County Council, said: "This staggering figure highlights the scale of the challenge and the importance of finding solutions that work for everyone.

"The SVWMS if offering a chance to reduce flood risk, boost farming, improve water supply, and create new opportunities for biodiversity gain, recreation and local business."

Independent analysis commissioned by the SVWMS also suggests that a single major flood event in the upper Severn catchment area could result in substantial risk to infrastructure, businesses and the local community, with socio-economic damages ranging between £111 million to £125 if it happened next year, rising to as much as £231 million by 2050 as climate risks intensify.

Cllr Berriman added: "This is a real opportunity for Powys and Shropshire to work together and make a difference for our communities."

At its meeting on November 18 Powys County Council Cabinet is being asked to:

• Confirm the Council's commitment as a key partner on the SVWMS Joint Project Board, making sure local communities in Powys and Shropshire and get the most out of this scheme.
• Give the green light to a new round of public and stakeholder consultation, so everyone - residents, landowners, businesses, and local organisations - can have their say on the emerging plans.
• Allow officers to progress, working closely with partners through the Marches Forward Partnership to make sure cross-border collaboration stays strong

Powys County Council Cabinet meets at 11am on Tuesday November 18.

The SVWMS is a cross-border project led by the Environment Agency and working in partnership with Natural Resources Wales, Powys County Council and Shropshire Council and is funded by Defra. Its focus is to create a holistic water management strategy for the upper Severn which could be used as a model for water management projects nationally.