West Worcestershire MP says she's working 'hard' to deliver flood defence scheme for Tenbury Wells
The town suffered significant flooding towards the end of November, when the Kyre Brook burst its banks, and caused a wall to collapse.
Last updated 6th Dec 2024
West Worcestershire MP Dame Harriett Baldwin says she will leave 'no stone unturned', when it comes to delivering a flood defence scheme in Tenbury Wells.
The MP has been in the town today hearing from businesses who suffered significant flooding towards the end of November, when the Kyre Brook burst its banks, and caused a wall to collapse.
During Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs) the other week, the Conservative MP asked the Prime Minister about ensuring funding was available to build a scheme which would protect the area, and to set-up a meeting with the flooding minister Emma Hardy.
In response, Keir Starmer he was "committed" to tackling flooding issues, and working with places like Tenbury Wells to build schemes to protect places.
Speaking to us in Tenbury today (6 December) about the recent floods and the flood defence scheme, Harriett said: "It's a flood prone community, it's a question of when, not if, Tenbury Wells floods.
"We've got these wonderful businesses in Tenbury, and they are resilient, but they also would like to see the town protected with flood defences.
"Yesterday I met with the floods minister to make the case for putting in the extra funding to protect the town.
"I was able to sit down with her and explain how far advanced the plans are, and that we've raised quite a lot of the funding needed, but there's still a funding gap, and so she had a constructive approach."
Worcestershire's Dave Throup, who is a rivers expert, and retired from working for the environment agency three years ago in 2021, said these flooding events are becoming 'more frequent', and flood defences could be 'vital' in protecting places like Tenbury Wells in the future.
The Met Office meanwhile, has issued a yellow warning across Herefordshire and Worcestershire this weekend, with winds expected of up to 50 miles an hour.
Some areas of the country do have red weather warning in place, as Storm Darragh makes its way to landfall this evening and overnight.