West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin has today repeated her call for flood defences for areas not yet benefitting from a permanent solution. The MP has written to an Environment Agency consultation re-stating the case for investment in proposals for Severn Stoke and Tenbury. The consultation was set up to identify flood resilience plans, including river management and dredging, after the flooding of the Somerset Levels last year. Over the last five years, Harriett has opened six new flood defence scheme and worked with local communities in Callow End, Severn Stoke and Tenbury to agree plans for future schemes. Harriett worked with the local town council in Tenbury to hold a town meeting to get agreement to create a long-term strategy for permanent flood defences and has worked with Tesco to persuade them to speed up work protecting the riverside adjoining the old cattle market. Harriett has also had meetings with local landowners around Severn Stoke to try and agree the location of bunds preventing flooding of homes, village hall and the local pub. Harriett commented: “I represent an area with the Severn, the Avon and the Teme flowing through it, so flood management will always be an issue. Over the last five years, my constituents have been protected by six impressive new schemes costing nearly £ 9 million but I continue to work to seek solutions for all areas that want a permanent scheme. “We need to ensure that permanent structures remain part of the strategy to help communities such as Severn Stoke and Tenbury cope with future floods. “I have used this latest EA consultation to urge the agency to ensure that both are in the long-term plan to make sure that future funding streams are available. “I also urge local people to make sure that they also make the case and have passed this consultation document on to Severn Stoke Flood Action Group and Tenbury Town Council and urged them to speak up as well.”