WEST WORCESTERSHIRE MP Harriett Baldwin has met with Floods Minister Rebecca Pow and asked for extra support for the permanent flood scheme to protect homes and businesses in Tenbury.

Mrs Baldwin, whose West Worcestershire constituency includes Tenbury, met with the Minister to discuss the impact of rising prices on the budget for the scheme and to identify plans to bridge the funding gap.

Earlier in the year, Mrs Baldwin wrote to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs asking for additional cash from a new support scheme to help areas which are regularly impacted by flooding. The Government has already allocated £4.9 million to underwrite the Tenbury scheme but there is a projected cash shortfall.

“I had a very constructive meeting with Rebecca Pow, who has been a firm supporter of the scheme since it was first designed,” said Mrs Baldwin.

“I briefed her on some of the complicated engineering challenges that the Environment Agency is working through and I asked her team to look favourably on the bid to allocate extra cash to the Tenbury scheme.

“I also met with the Environment Agency team myself, and repeated my desire for them to press on with the scheme, whilst in parallel attempting to find cost savings to get the project back within a manageable budget.

“I am confident that we will be able to get the scheme back on track and I hope that the final designs will be put forward to the planning authority early next year.”