27/08/2026
🌳 Could the answer to protecting Powick Old Bridge already exist?
Next month, Liz and myself representing Worcester Civic Society, together with Worcester MP Tom Collins and Cllr Tom Wells (Worcestershire County Council Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Highways and Transport) will be visiting the Ely Bridge Tree Catcher in Cardiff.
We’ll be meeting the project leads and engineer behind the scheme, led by Natural Resources Wales, to understand exactly how it was developed, what feasibility and hydraulic studies were undertaken, how it performs in real flood conditions and, importantly, whether the approach could work at Powick Old Bridge.
There are some important similarities.
At Ely, the River Ely carries significant amounts of woody debris during heavy rainfall. That debris was accumulating around the bridge, restricting the river’s capacity and increasing flood risk. The problem was particularly difficult because debris could not be safely removed during high flows.
At Powick, we have already seen the consequences of debris accumulation and flooding. WCC’s own investigations concluded that the partial collapse of the bridge’s wingwall was likely caused by flooding and a build-up of debris.
The Ely solution is remarkably simple in concept: intercept the larger debris before it reaches the bridge, while allowing the river to continue flowing.
And this isn’t just an untested idea. The Ely project used hydraulic modelling to assess blockages and different tree-catcher locations. The final design used seven staggered poles upstream of the bridge, with a purpose-built access track allowing debris to be safely removed. CCTV was also installed to monitor accumulation.
Most importantly, the results are encouraging. The tree catcher cost £957,000, around a quarter of the cost of the traditional flood-defence option considered and achieved a 65% reduction in embodied carbon and construction impact. That may sound a LOT but with the right application to also include community engagement and info boards, lottery funding could cover the majority of this cost.
Also, following major storms after its installation, the bridge experienced no blockages as designed.
Our rivers, bridges, geology, hydraulics and heritage constraints are different, but that’s precisely why this visit matters.
The Ely project team has undertaken feasibility work and developed best-practice knowledge which they are willing to share with us. We want to understand whether those lessons could inform a cost-effective, long-term debris management and protection solution for Powick Old Bridge.
WCC has already spent millions "reacting" to the consequences of the bridge’s debris onslaught for years, time to put common sense in action to restore & protect!
Surely it makes sense to investigate every credible option for preventing the same problem happening again and again?
✍️ And our petition is growing…
https://www.change.org/p/protect-powick-old-bridge-worcester-uk
We’ve now passed 800 signatures.
Our target is 1,000 signatures by the end of September.
Getting over that line would send an even stronger message to WCC that people want long-term protection as well as restoration.
Please sign and share our petition. 🙏✍️
And don’t forget the challenge! 📸
Take a selfie at Powick Old Bridge, share it on Facebook, use and tag of Powick Old Bridge and Discover History
Let’s show just how many people care about protecting this extraordinary piece of Worcestershire’s history.
1,000 signatures.
Hundreds of selfies.
One message.....
** Restore it - Protect it - Save Powick Old Bridge **
