Resident calls for flood defences near river

A woman who lives near a river which repeatedly floods during heavy rain has called for proper flood defences.

Lynn Smith has lived in Diglis Avenue, Worcester, for 29 years and said flooding used to happen every seven years but since 2020 it has flooded annually.

She said: "Over the last five years it's been really quite stressful."

The Environment Agency said it had worked with people in the area to help make them better prepared for flooding, but further measures were not "financially or economically viable at this stage".

Flood warnings from the Environment Agency meant she was not being taken by surprise and having lived by the river for a while she said: "You know if it's going to come in the house."

But she also said: "The only way you will stop the flooding to these houses is if the Environment Agency build flood defences."

Smith believes people in the area have spent millions of pounds since 2020, cleaning up after floods.

She has resigned herself to never moving because of the "depressed" value of the houses due to living by the river.

"I couldn't get this property anywhere else for what money I would be able to sell it for," she said.

"We're one of the most flooded group of houses along the River Severn catchment area."

The area was a "beautiful place to live", she said, but there was a "price to pay" for that.

In response, the Environment Agency said: "We know the devastating impact that flooding can have, which is why reducing flood risk for people and communities is our top priority."

It said it had worked with the community in the Diglis area "to help make them more resilient and better prepared for flooding".

But it added: "Unfortunately we are not able to take forward further options that are financially or economically viable at this stage."

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