West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin’s has vowed to continue pressing for Tenbury’s permanent flood defences during a debate in the House of Commons.

The MP outlined the scheme which is expected to cost over £5 million in an adjournment debate in Parliament yesterday (June 3).

Although it has traditionally been considered unaffordable, Harriett has called for the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to earmark funds from a £200 million fund promised at the Budget which supports innovative projects.

The MP used the debate to set out plans to reduce costs by using local farmers and accessing other areas of funding including the Local Enterprise Partnership and local authorities.

Responding to the debate, Floods Minister Rebecca Pow confirmed that the Environment Agency has developed a scheme and agreed to work with the Tenbury community to find innovative solutions to reduce the scheme’s cost.

She confirmed that a recent review of the funding formula has meant that an extra £200,000 being available to fund the scheme.

Harriett commented: “The flooding earlier this year across West Worcestershire took a terrible toll and many people are still having to deal with the challenges of being flooded earlier this year.

“With the Covid-19 pandemic, I was concerned that some of the impetus pressing for funding for Tenbury may get lost, so I pressed on with this adjournment debate to make sure it was firmly on the Government’s agenda.

“The Department has confirmed that it is formally looking at ways to fund the scheme to make it deliverable and affordable and I hope that the Environment Agency will now press on with the local consultation process.”