West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin has welcomed confirmation that an emergency fund will come into operation for a second time in four months to help homes and businesses affected by flooding.

A series of storms over the Winter has led to saturated land and serious flooding across the country and properties along the rivers Severn, Avon and the Teme have been impacted by flood damage.

The Government has confirmed that a support scheme, managed by local district councils, will help people to fix storm damage as well as helping them to access funding to prevent future flooding.

The scheme was last triggered in October when Storm Babet hit the region and Harriett has been working closely with Malvern Hills and Wychavon District Councils to ensure that people who qualify, are able to get support during this latest weather event.

Harriett commented:

“I am saddened that yet again homes and businesses have flooded across West Worcestershire with all the disruption and turmoil that comes with serious bad weather.

“The saturated ground means that flooding remains a risk and I am once again grateful that we’ve got major flood defence schemes in places like Upton-upon-Severn and Kempsey and Pershore working to protect properties. They have paid for themselves many times over in the years since they were constructed.

“My thoughts are particularly with the people living in Severn Stoke, who were promised that the permanent flood defence scheme construction would have been underway by now, and I am due to have a meetings with both the Department and the chief executive of the Environment Agency to discuss this hold-up.

“Right now, my focus is on making sure that everyone is able to access support and as Parliament returns, I’ll be talking to the key Ministers to see what we can do to accelerate the two schemes currently outstanding in my patch – in Tenbury Wells and, of course, in Severn Stoke.”