2:50pm Tuesday 15th September 2009
By Richard Vernalls
DETERMINED campaigners pushing for flood defences to protect their village are keeping fingers crossed ahead of a key meeting.
Members of the Kempsey Flood Action Group (FLAG) are expecting an indication of support for a proposed defence scheme when the Midlands regional flood defence committee meets later today.
The committee will look at the £1 million proposal for a bund and large-scale water pumping system that will wrap around part of the village’s western edge.
In summer 2007, 150 homes were flooded and the main A38 through the village blocked for two days.
In January this year, the village missed out on flood defence funding following a committee vote, when nearby scheme Powick received the go-ahead. Villagers were undeterred by the setback and following a well-attended public meeting at St Mary’s Church immediately following the committee’s decision, a campaign and fact-finding group was set up.
Since then, they have raised almost £6,000 towards the scheme through fund-raisers including a live music bash – Bund Aid, and secured £100,000 from Worcestershire County Council and a sum from the parish council.
Volunteers have also posted 1,300 information leaflets, drawn up a map of properties flooded in 2007 and lobbied local politicians including the MP Sir Michael Spicer and others for support.
Today, Cathy Garner, FLAG chairman believes the group will get its first indication of whether the scheme will be accepted, following the meeting.
“We’re keeping our fingers crossed,” she said.
“We’ve a garden party on Friday and that will either be a chance to celebrate or a chance to re-group depending on what we hear.”
The defence committee meeting today is closed to the public and for local authority members only.
A public session will be held in Solihull on Wednesday, October 14, with a further meeting scheduled in January.
l Funding blow for Tenbury flood defences – see page 13.
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