Ludlow is facing up to 12 weeks of disruption while roads are ripped up to upgrade the town’s sewage network. 

Temeside is set to close between April 25 until July 19 near the junction with Old Street while Severn Trent Water upgrades pipework under the road, as part of a multi-million pound scheme to reduce waste water discharges into the river during heavy storms.

Ageing pipework will also be replaced under Old Street and The Linney as part of the scheme.

Councillors at a meeting of Ludlow Town Council earlier this month accused the firm of taking a “sticking plaster approach” to reducing sewage discharges into the Teme, during a presentation from Severn Trent Water which one councillor described as “no-where near ambitious enough”.

But the company says its Bathing Rivers Project is “groundbreaking”, and will move water quality in the River Teme towards bathing quality status once the work is completed.

The work being completed is part of a £78million scheme designed to improve a 50km stretch of river in Shropshire and Warwickshire.

Severn Trent Water say they will be trialling the use of ozone disinfection as part of its waste treatment process at Ludlow Sewage Treatment Works, which they say cleans waste water to a higher standard before it’s returned to the river.

Other works due to take place at the site will include the installation of new storm tanks, and two new final settlement tanks which the firm say will increase the town’s flood water handling capacity.

“We’d like to thank everyone for their patience and understanding in advance of our work starting on Temeside,” said a spokesperson for Severn Trent Water.

“We have brought forward this planned closure as we know that Ludlow has a busy summer season of wonderful annual events, and we will be doing everything we can to complete this important work as quickly and as safely as possible.

“Upgrades will also be made to two pumping stations on private land so more wastewater can be pulled faster through Ludlow, reducing the number of spills from storm overflows, as well as upgrades to two major waste pipes on The Linney and Old Street.”

Temeside will remain open to emergency vehicles and pedestrians, but will be closed to all other traffic with diversions in place, the firm says.