Work to clear the tunnels carrying the river under Saffron Walden will begin on Monday.
The Environment Agency has contracted Onsite to clear the culvert of debris as well as inspect the tunnel which carries the River Slade under the town centre.
A survey, carried out in February, found bats hibernating in the culvert delaying the works until they have left.
Sadia Moeed, from the Environment Agency, said: “Ecologists have now confirmed that bats are no longer hibernating in the culvert and so we are able to go ahead.
“The work will last two weeks, starting Monday, June 15, and is due to be completed Friday, June 26, and will involve clearing debris from the town centre culvert which runs directly underneath residents’ properties in Saffron Walden. This will improve flow of flood waters from the River Slade and make it safer for our staff to inspect the state of the culvert for wear and tear. It can then be determined if any further work will be necessary.”
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