WEST Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin has called for action to improve the road and flood defences at the busy Powick roundabout.
Her call comes as plans to continue the improvement work to the Southern Link Road, including the long-awaited doubling of the Carrington Road bridge, were confirmed.
Mrs Baldwin has urged the authority to look into the proposal to raise the road and local flood defences to protect the road from closure during serious flooding.
Worcestershire County Council, Environment Agency and the Powick flood action group have been meeting to consider a report which investigated why flood defences failed last year.
And Mrs Baldwin called on the county council to develop a plan and bid for the Government’s ‘levelling up’ funding to deliver a scheme while work was ongoing at the site.
She said: “I’ve kept in close contact with Powick people since the serious flooding last year and we’re all waiting to see the final report into why the flood defences were over-topped.
“The flooding also had a serious impact on the local road network at I’ve called for the Environment Agency to work with the local highways team to work out a plan which protects both the road and houses.
“The Chancellor set out the terms of the Levelling Up fund at the budget and I have repeated my call that it would seem logical to plan the work while there are already contractors on the ground.”
She said she was happy to help lobby ministers but ‘speedy action’ was needed from the county council to develop and bid for funding as soon as possible.
A Worcestershire County Council spokesperson said: “We are working with the Environment Agency to investigate the feasibility of an integrated scheme for Powick to improve flood resilience for properties and the A449 south.
“Any scheme would need to be fully modelled, surveyed, designed, funded, have planning approval and a strong business case.”
