West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin has urged the county highways team to bid into a Government fund to enable more flood resilience on the main road between the busy Powick roundabout and Malvern.

Work continues to improve the Southern Link Road including the long-awaited doubling of the Carrington Road bridge and the MP urged the team to press on with planning for the raising of the road, which has suffered from a series of closures in recent years during periods of heavy flooding.

High level estimates suggest that the improvements could cost as much as £10 million and Harriett urged the team to bid for a share of a £4.8 billion ‘Levelling Up’ fund announced at the at the Budget in March which is aimed at supporting projects which will transform infrastructure and support local growth.

Flooding at the major roundabout has caused serious delays in recent years and when the roads were overwhelmed last year at Powick, Upon-upon-Severn and Severn Stoke, motorists were forced to take major detours to get to and from work.

The county council has confirmed that it is working with the Environment Agency to develop a plan while the formal report on last year’s flooding is being formalised.

Harriett has supported calls from motorists who want to see the road better protected from flood closures alongside the important work to enhance the Powick flood defences which were over-topped last year.

Harriett said: “I have been told that the work can’t run in parallel with the current work to dual the Carrington Road bridge, but I think this project meets the criteria for the ‘Levelling Up’ fund which aims to support spade ready projects which improve our infrastructure.

“I’m hoping that we will see the report into last year’s floods very soon and this will trigger the work to bid into the fund and make this project financially possible.

“I will be happy to champion a bid with the relevant Ministers as soon as it is drafted and I am sure everyone would like to see this work, and the improvements to Powick’s flood defences, happen sooner rather than later.”