PERMANENT flood barriers will finally be installed at Beales Corner in Bewdley as part of a £6.2m investment.

Homes and businesses were devastated by Storm Christoph for the second time in 12 months back in January 2021.

The temporary defences failed when floods hit, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson was heckled by residents and branded a “traitor” for failing to meet the badly affected communities.

Flooding Minister Rebecca Pow will visit Beales Corner to announce the scheme today, (Tuesday, July 27) which would replace temporary flood barriers and protect around 31 homes and over 150 businesses from flooding once completed. 

Wyre Forest MP Mark Garnier said it's "incredibly good news" for the town and will offer a "permanent solution" to the flooding issue.

He said: "From my point of view, this has been a model of the government working well with the town. The Prime Minister made the pledge that he would get Bewdley done and he did."

Mr Garnier has said plans for the defences could be a combination of glass walls, similar to barriers at Upton on Severn, as well as demountable barriers similar to those on Severn Side.

A further £4.5m will be invested by the government in smaller projects within the Severn Valley to help tackle flooding in the long term, using natural flood management techniques such as floodplain reconnection, wetland creation, woody debris dams and woodland planting to ‘slow the flow’ of water upstream of Shrewsbury. 

Flooding Minister Rebecca Pow said:  “Flooding is a devastating experience as people in Bewdley know only too well.

"The new Beales Corner scheme, combined with flood alleviation projects further up the Severn Valley, will help significantly reduce the risk of flooding in this area in future."

Emma Howard Boyd, chair of the Environment Agency, said:  “I know from meeting members of the community in Bewdley that flooding here is a constant worry.

“The Environment Agency has made progress in tackling flooding in the Severn Valley and a permanent defence at Beales Corner, as well as schemes further upstream to slow water flow, will help better protect homes and businesses.

“But, with climate change bringing more extreme weather, people need to be vigilant. I strongly urge people to sign up for flood warnings and regularly check flood risk on gov.uk.”