Town's traders hit by floods 'grateful' for funding
BBCTraders in a flood-hit town have said they are "grateful" for £1.8m in government funding to protect individual properties from future flooding.
The sum for Tenbury Wells is part of a larger £4.2bn three-year investment package announced by the Environment Agency, which will be rolled out nationally from April 2026.
Rachel Rogers, owner of Nature's Design Studio, said the news has caused her to "sleep a bit better".
She said: "I'm grateful for anything they can give us. We've lived under this pressure that every time there's a storm we could flood, what's going to happen and it's not just the shop that gets flooded, the town is devastated."
Tenbury Wells was subjected to severe flooding during Storm Bert in November 2024, which saw flood water reach a depth of three feet with a clean up effort taking two weeks to complete.
Recalling the storm, Rogers said: "[The water] was everywhere. It was quite devastating, it made me feel very sad and I was very upset about the whole situation."
Asked about the funding announcement, she said: "I think having money put aside for us to have these personal flood defences is great. It's wonderful and I'm really pleased they've done it."
But she warned authorities needed to also "look at the long term situation" but reaffirmed that it was "wonderful" to have the £1.8m, "which will definitely help us".
Sarah Le Roux, owner of Bonnie's Pet Supplies, has been trading for five years and described the 2024 flood was "scary".
She said customers avoid shopping "because it's not safe for them" so the new funding is "really good".
"We need to remain positive and not think about what we might need further down the line," the pet specialist explained. "Let's grab what we can now and make our town more safe."
She added: "I just want floodgates for the doors, that's all I'm asking for and as a small trader, you can't afford to keep paying for those things ourselves.
"So for us, £18m for the town, it's fantastic."
Funding breakdown
Herefordshire and Worcestershire has received more than £3m, here is where it's going:
- Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire - £1.8m
- Greyfriars Property Flood Resilience, Herefordshire - £1m
- Much Marcle, Herefordshire - £60k
- Mansel Lacey, Herefordshire - £60k
- Brinsop, Herefordshire - £60k
- Toronoto Close (Worcester), Worcestershire - £5k
- Upton on Severn Maintenance Fund, Worcestershire - £5k
- Old Longworth, Herefordshire - £5k
- Sedgeberrow, Worcestershire - £5k
A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: "We are really pleased to have secured funding to help protect people from the devastating effects of flooding in Tenbury Wells and are currently finalising surveys for over 180 homes and businesses as the first step to delivering Property Flood Resilience measures for them.
"We remain committed to improving flooding resilience in the area and we are working with the local authority and other partner organisations to achieve this."
Councillor Ian Cresswell, cabinet member for Environment and Communities, said the funding was "an important step in better protecting residents and businesses".
He added: "We remain committed to working with partners, including the Environment Agency, to support communities across Worcestershire, reducing risk and helping protect homes and livelihoods."
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