River expert says flood defences 'vital' for Tenbury Wells following Storm Bert
The town suffered significant flooding towards the end of November following Storm Bert
A rivers expert in Worcestershire says it's important places like Tenbury Wells are protected from the risks of flooding moving forward.
Businesses and homes in the town suffered significant flooding, when the Kyre Brook burst its banks and caused a wall to collapse, following Storm Bert at the end of last month.
Areas throughout Herefordshire and Worcestershire were also at start of the year through Storm Henk.
Dave Throup, who retired from working for the environment agency three years ago in 2021, says flooding events are becoming more frequent, and flood defences can play a role in making sure these communities are kept safe.
"I think it is absolutely vital that Tenbury does get a flood defence," he said.
"Tenbury always has flooded, but these really big five-and-a-half metre floods, they should really be once in a generation floods, and now we are talking about six in the last four or five years.
"The River Teme is a very fast flowing river as well which means it comes up very fast, then there's other rivers that join it which can push it up really quickly, all that sort of stuff can make it a more dangerous river in a lot of ways than the other ones.
"It is a complicated scheme because we have to protect it from two rivers, but it needs a flood defence, and the solution is there."
Speaking in Prime Minister's Questions last week, the prime minister said he was committed to tackling flooding issues.