West Worcestershire MP Dame Harriett Baldwin has called for swift action to find a new partner to build the permanent flood scheme at Severn Stoke after another contractor withdrew from the long-delayed project.

Worcestershire County Council agreed to take on the construction of the whole scheme including a bund and road raising work but Griffiths which was lined up to carry out the work has pulled out.

This follows the Environment Agency’s main contractor, Jacobs, also withdrawing from the project leaving the scheme unbuilt for another Winter.

The county council and the Environment Agency both pledged to have work underway in the late Spring and this latest news will be a huge blow to the residents and business owners in Severn Stoke.

Dame Harriett said:

“Late last year, I was warned that Griffiths was withdrawing from county council construction projects, but I was promised that the Severn Stoke scheme was safe.

“Last week, county council officers briefed me that this was no longer the case and I urged them to put their urgent efforts into finding a new contactor to get cracking on the work as quickly as possible.

“This project has bounced between two organisations who have not been able to find willing contractors on their business framework but I’m sure these technicalities will mean nothing to the people who regularly flood in Severn Stoke.

“I’ve urged the county council team to do all it can to get a plan in place to get the spades in the ground as soon as practicable.”