WEST WORCESTERSHIRE MP Dame Harriett Baldwin has reported a constructive response following an emergency meeting with the Government Flooding Minister and the Environment Agency chief executive to discuss the town’s flood resilience.
The MP met with the pair in Westminster after the Environment Agency confirmed that no budget had been allocated to install property level protection measures for the town’s ‘at-risk’ properties.
Dame Harriett also shared her concerns with the chair of the English Severn and Wye Regional and Coastal Flood Committee, which has to make recommendations on budget allocations for local projects following a meeting in Tewkesbury today.
The emergency meetings were called in response to public outcry after it was confirmed that Tenbury’s home and businesses would be left with neither the promised full flood defence scheme, nor the piecemeal flood resilience improvements and more and more buildings at risk of being refused flood insurance.
Dame Harriet said: “I’ve met with both Minister Emma Hardy and EA chief executive Philip Duffy before, and at our last meeting they pledged to deliver the individual property level protection for Tenbury Wells. To my mind, they repeated that pledge again last night.
“With just a fraction of the budget that’s already spent in Tenbury on consultants, the town’s property level resilience can be significantly improved and give some confidence back to the community that the Environment Agency has not deserted the town to its fate.
“The constructive meetings that I have had with the key players over the last 24 hours reassure me that they have heard the angry response and we are all on the same page and share the same ambition.
“It is now down to the Environment Agency to make good on the pledge made to me and to my constituents to get this project funded and done and offer a brighter outlook for Tenbury Wells.”
