West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin has encouraged the team developing Tenbury’s permanent flood defence scheme to press on as the scheme’s design is finalised.

The MP took a walking tour of the proposed scheme with representatives from the Environment Agency and was briefed on latest developments.

The agency has been consulting local people and stakeholders over the last year to ensure that local knowledge and local viewpoints are incorporated into the design.

It will feature a series of flood walls and gates to protect the town from serious flooding and the Environment Agency will submit the scheme for planning permission in the coming weeks.

Harriett said:

“I am grateful to the Environment Agency for taking the time to brief me on the latest version of the plan and I am very relieved to see it taking shape.

“We all know it is a question of when rather than if the Teme floods again at Tenbury so there’s no time to waste now that funding has been secured.

“I am keen to see the plans finalised and submitted for consideration by planners. With that done, the Environment Agency can press on with construction and I have urged them to look to use local people, and local resources wherever possible.

“This will be a major scheme to construct, and I have offered my assistance to the team to get this work done as quickly as possible. I will be feeding back progress to Ministers this week.”

Photo: In Tenbury walking the new flood defence plan route (l-r) Ben Kovacs, James Turner, Grace Wight and Harriett Baldwin MP