BEWDLEY residents whose homes have been affected by devastating flooding have shared their relief following the announcement of plans for permanent defences at Beales Corner.
Around £6.2m will be spent on the new barriers - set to be fully installed by the end of 2023.
Irene Buxton's home on Kidderminster Road was affected by the flooding caused by Storm Christoph in January and February. She said it was "like a tsunami" when the water broke the barrier.
Reacting to the plans for permanent barriers, the 70-year-old said: "It's brilliant news - I just hoped it was sooner.
"We had to evacuate, then we came back, tidied up, and then we got it again. It was all a mess."
She added: "I'm over the moon, I set up the flood committee nearly ten years ago. We're desperate for these flood defences."
June Neath's home in Millside Court was also badly affected by the flooding.
Reacting to the news the 86-year-old said: "Thank god for that."
She said the temporary barriers were "as good as nothing."
Flooding minister Rebecca Pow visited Bewdley today (Tuesday, July 27) to announce the plans, said: "Almost 40 properties and about 150 businesses will be protected from this funding.
"I visited lots of the homes, I could experience how devastating that was for the local people. Devastating because it's happened frequently."
"It's been a very complicated area to protect."
Wyre Forest MP Mark Garnier said: "The Beales corner side of the river has been very problematic and we saw earlier this year when we had the flooding that the temporary barriers collapsed in a catastrophic way.
"Now finally we are going to get a £6.2m permanent solution.
"It's going to be done in a way which is sympathetic to the environment - it's not going to be blocking views of the river.
He also said that barriers will be able to be erected "last minute" so businesses will be able to stay productive.
He added: "Hopefully it will be completed by December 2023.
"For everybody who have been living in fear of even going away for the weekend in case a flood comes along - there's an end in sight for this uncertainty."
Environment Agency operations manager Anthony Perry said the scheme will protect Beales corner to the "same standard" as Severn Side.
"It will be a mix of flood walls and embankments and there will be some existing guard walls that will have to be replaced and strengthened to be able to take pressures of the water.
"We envisage that the regular floods will pass through without the need to physically erect anything like the demountable barriers on Severn Side North and South.
"So our aim is to try and allow the more frequent floods to pass through and then when we have the more extreme floods then we will have to put demountable barriers in place."
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