'Constructive talks' held over Tenbury Wells property-level flood resilience schemes - West Worcestershire MP
Dame Harriett Baldwin says she's held an emergency meeting with the government flooding minister and the Environment Agency chief executive to discuss the town’s flood resilience
West Worcestershire's MP has held an 'emergency meeting' with the Environment Agency (EA) and government floods minister to stress the importance of flood protection work being carried out in Tenbury Wells.
The town suffered significant flooding on 24 November last year when rainfall from Storm Bert led to the Kyre Brook, which runs through the town, bursting its banks and causing a wall to collapse, leading to businesses being flooded in the centre and on Teme Street.
Plans for a larger flood defence scheme in the town by the EA have been put on hold after over £17 million had been originally allocated to it but following a review of proposals, a funding gap was identified of between £8 and £13 million, meaning it could not progress at this stage.
It mentioned in March this year after the wall which collapsed was rebuilt by Worcestershire County Council it was looking at alternative ways of increasing community resilience to flooding, including property flood resilience (PFR).
The West Worcestershire MP Dame Harriett Baldwin said she was told by the EA, along with the town, funding from its budgets to deliver property-level flood resilience would be 'forthcoming' after it put the main flood defence scheme on hold.
She says it was 'concerning' to see the town could now miss out on the property level flood resilience protection as it is a "question of when, not if Tenbury Wells will flood again" and has held talks with the EA chief executive and floods minister Emma Hardy over it.
"I will keep pushing to make sure the funding is there for the individual property level of protection," she said.
"It's not certain, but I'm having constructive discussions both with the minister and the environment agency and I do hope that they can reallocate some money so that this project gets done.
"The process is underway, they've got a surveyor who is on contract, so they need to crack on with that, they need to get those recommendations in for planning permission if necessary and then they need to find someone to actually implement them.
"It's simply unacceptable to say to the people of Tenbury Wells that we're doing this project for you and then to drop it before it's even started."
Dame Harriett said she's been "reassured" the key parties have heard the "angry response" and are all on the same page and share the same ambition.
A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: “The Environment Agency remains committed to improving flooding resilience in the Tenbury Wells area and we are working with all partners on how this can be taken forward.
“No final decisions have yet been made on funding allocations for any projects for the next financial year including the Property Flood Resilience (PFR) project for Tenbury Wells.
"Several steps will be taken before allocations are finalised early next calendar year, including scrutiny and review by the elected members of the English Severn and Wye (ESW) Regional Flood and Coastal Committee.”