THE SCHEME to secure a permanent flood defence for Severn Stoke has been given the green light meaning work can start next year.
The plan was originally approved by Malvern Hills District Council last November, but it needed to be revised following feedback from Worcestershire County Council and other stakeholders.
The community-led project is aimed at protecting homes, the historic church, a popular pub and the village hall and will use local materials and local contractors.
MP Harriett Baldwin, has been working with community groups since the village suffered serious flooding in 2012 and has lobbied the Environment Agency and a succession of Government Ministers to secure funding and drive the project forward.
On this latest progress she said: “It has been a tremendously long journey for the villagers who have led this project and I am relieved that this latest hurdle has been cleared.
“We all hope for a dry winter and I’ve asked for a timeline of works so we can try to keep this project on track.
“It is my hope that both Severn Stoke’s and Tenbury Wells’ permanent schemes get spades in the ground in 2022 and we get yet more important flood defences to protect homes and businesses during the inevitable periods of bad weather.”
