West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin has welcomed confirmation that extra cash has been allocated to help keep local permanent flood defence schemes on track.

Harriett met with Environment Minister Rebecca Pow in December to lobby for extra support for the permanent flood scheme to protect homes and businesses in Tenbury Wells and the bund construction and road-raising project in Severn Stoke.

And Harriett also wrote to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs asking for additional cash from the £100 million support scheme to help areas which are regularly impacted by flooding.

Environment Secretary Therese Coffey has today written to Harriett confirming that cash from the fund will be allocated to support schemes in West Worcestershire. Inflationary pressures have seen raw material costs soaring and the Tenbury scheme was feared to be significantly over budget.

Harriett said:

“I had a very constructive meeting with Rebecca Pow, who has been a firm supporter of the Tenbury scheme since it was first designed.

“I’ve been very active lobbying behind the scenes to help to keep the two outstanding flood schemes on track and with this great news, I hope that both projects will be able to push on this year.

“I am hopeful that the Severn Stoke scheme will get completed this year and I plan to meet with the Tenbury scheme project manager very soon to hear the progress on finalising a plan to go before Malvern Hills District Council as soon as possible.”

Photo: Pictured meeting in December Harriett Baldwin MP and Environment Minister Rebecca Pow.