STEPPED-UP flood defence planning has been launched in a new scheme linking Bewdley residents with river experts.
A special forum to help decide what flood defence measures people want in the town was set up at a public meeting called swiftly after last week's second bout of severe flooding.
Even before the waters had subsided from levels 16ft above normal for the River Severn about 60 residents gathered at the Baptist Church to consider how to cope with the effects of future flooding.
In what Wyre Forest MP David Lock described as "a very constructive meeting" community representatives from different zones in the town agreed to meet Environment Agency officers on a regular basis.
Mr Lock said: "It is accepted that ideas can only proceed with the help of a community consensus of opinion."
Beales Corner flood victim Gillian Holland also raised concern about storage of Wyre Forest District Council sandbags by residents who did not have room through winter and who were worried about used sandbags contaminated by flood water.
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