Defence work to start in flood-hit Tenbury Wells next year

The centre of Tenbury Wells flooded on Saturday, affecting homes and businesses

Construction on a permanent defence scheme for a flood-hit town is not expected to start until next year, the Environment Agency (EA) has said.

Residents and businesses in Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire, have suffered flooding several times, with the most recent coming at the weekend in the wake of Storm Babet.

The government committed to funding the scheme after flooding in 2020.

Residents warned that without measures, Tenbury could become a ghost town.

The EA blamed delays on the scheme's "complex and challenging" nature.

People in Tenbury have been frustrated at the lack of flood defences

On Saturday, Tenbury Bridge, Teme Street and Market Street were closed and parts of the town centre were under water as the River Teme swelled.

Lorna Jones, who runs Rainbow Crafts in Market Street which only started trading six months ago, said any further delays to the scheme would see the town end up with "no traders and nobody living here".

"It will be just a ghost town," she added.

She said she had to empty her store at the weekend as flood water lapped against the door.

"If they want people to live and trade in Tenbury then they've got to play ball," she explained.

"We went and got sand bags and just moved everything we possibly could - we couldn't afford to lose all the stock and the fittings."

Work was expected to start on the construction of permanent flood defences next year, said the Environment Agency

Another local trader, Sadie Chalkley from hardware retailer JG Banfield, said "a great deal of work has been going on to survey and prepare for flood defences".

She added: "A lot of money has been spent on these surveys and things and some of us are starting to get frightened it will all go on that and none will be left to actually put the spades in the soil."

An EA spokesperson said: "After the flooding in February 2020, the Government committed to an additional £4.9m of public money to allow a flood scheme for Tenbury to be progressed. 

"We have been working with partners and key stakeholders to progress the design of the scheme and we expect that the construction will start in 2024."