17 March 2014
West Worcestershire Harriett Baldwin has offered to help a flood-hit rural village to campaign for permanent defences. The MP attended a lively meeting in the village hall to discuss the issue and was given a briefing by the challenges facing the community. Harriett was joined by local district councillor David Harrison and Environment Agency's Anthony Perry answering questions from the villagers. Harriett commented: “I learned a lot from meeting such a wide range of stakeholders in Severn Stoke. It’s clear the community wants to be able to protect its church, pub and village hall and the A38 when the Severn floods. “There already is a bund along the river itself and so there are issues to resolve around the maintenance of that. “In addition, there are different landowners, some of whom are distant trusts and estates, governed by charitable rules. “I have offered to write to the landowners involved to ask for a meeting with their representatives to identify any obstacles. “Once that is done, we can work out whether a scheme is feasible and then work out how it can be delivered affordably.”