Editing Shepton Mallet (section)

===River Sheppey===
The centre and older parts of Shepton Mallet are adjacent to the [[River Sheppey]], in a valley about {{convert|115|m|abbr=on}} above sea level. The edges of the town lie about {{convert|45|m|abbr=on}} higher. The river has cut a narrow valley, and between Shepton Mallet and the village of [[Croscombe]], to the west, it is bounded by steeply sloping fields and woodland. However, it flows through much of Shepton Mallet itself in underground culverts.<ref name="caa12"/> It occasionally floods after heavy rain, as on 20 October 2006,<ref>{{Cite news |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/england/somerset/6068790.stm |title=Fifty homes struck by river flood |work=BBC |date=20 October 2006 |access-date=2 January 2009}}</ref> and again on 29 May 2008,<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2053640/Floods-in-south-west-England-Clean-up-begins.html |title=Floods in South West England |work=Daily Telegraph |date=30 May 2008 |access-date=2 January 2009 |location=London |first=Richard |last=Savill |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090210050609/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2053640/Floods-in-south-west-England-Clean-up-begins.html |archive-date=10 February 2009}}</ref> when the rainfall was too heavy for the culverts. Some houses round Leg Square, Lower Lane and Draycott Road were submerged to a depth of {{convert|1|m}}. A study by the [[Environment Agency]] identified that the current standard of flood protection in these parts of the town is insufficient, as it was of a 5–10-year event-standard, whereas current guidelines require protection of a 50–200-year standard.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.mendip.gov.uk/Download.asp?path=%2FDocuments%2FMinutesAndReports%2FMeetings+08%2FCMCP%2F09+Dec+08%2FFlooding+in+Shepton+Mallet%2Eppt |title=Flooding in Shepton Mallet |publisher=Presentation by the Environment Agency to the Central Mendip Community Partnership at Mendip District Council |date=9 December 2008 |access-date=23 February 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611192717/http://www.mendip.gov.uk/Documents/MinutesAndReports/Meetings%2008/CMCP/09%20Dec%2008/Flooding%20in%20Shepton%20Mallet.ppt |archive-date=11 June 2011}}</ref> In the summer of 2010, the Agency began constructing a flood alleviation scheme at a cost of about £1.3 million.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/static/documents/Leisure/Shepton_Mallet_LL_Factsheet_dec_11.pdf |title=Work to start on Shepton Mallet flood improvements |publisher=Environment Agency |access-date=7 June 2012|date=June 2010 |archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20120307171527/http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/static/documents/Leisure/Shepton_Mallet_LL_Factsheet_dec_11.pdf |archive-date=7 March 2012}}</ref>