New hope on flood misery

New flood defence work to protect dozens more homes at Bewdley will be unveiled by the environment agency next week.

But families hoping for an end to their flooding misery are being warned the project will have to compete for cash with two similar schemes.

More than 50 homes in the Riddings Brook area of Bewdley were flooded when a culvert running beneath their houses failed to cope with torrential rain in June 2007.

Residents have been campaigning for flood defences to be installed ever since in case the culvert is overwhelmed again.

Now, more than two year's after the major floods, the Environment Agency has drawn up plans which could protect the area during future downpours.

The proposed scheme will be unveiled at a public meeting in Bewdley on Monday but even now the plans have been drawn up, the scheme is not guaranteed to go ahead.

It will have to compete for funds from the flood levy monies raised through council tax in the Midlands with similar flood defence schemes elsewhere in Worcestershire.

Each year, local authority representatives on the Regional Flood Defence Committee decide which projects should be in the running for funding before making a final decision about which is allocated cash.

The Riddings Brook scheme will be in competition with schemes in Kempsey and Charlton and an initial decision is expected as early as next month.

The deadline for submissions to the Regional Flood Defence Committee is September 16 .

The Riddings Brook plans are due to be unveiled at a public meeting at 7pm on Monday in the community centre on Shaw Hedge Road.