POWICK residents have renewed their calls for repeated flooding to keep a nearby main road open.
Powick Flood Forum members are calling for the A449 to remain open after the February 2020 floods that drove dozens of families from their homes.
In one publication they call for both the raising and the road to be kept clear, saying, “The flooding of 25 houses in the old village is of course important as it caused an estimated £ 3.75 million damage to houses (25 x 150,000). , but the value of keeping the A449 open has far greater value to a large number of people
“An average of 24,000 cars a day use the A449 for commuting, leisure travel, etc. as it is the most direct route between Malvern Hills and Worcester.
“If this road is closed due to flooding, Bransford Bridge and Upton Roads are almost certainly already closed and the next open connection will be the M50, a 40 mile detour.
“Over 100,000 people live in the Malvern Hills area and the emergency services rely on the A449 as it is the main route between Worcester and Malvern and all three services have supported all plans to keep the road open at all times.”
We reported last year how Worcestershire County Council is considering raising the road.
This came after calls from councilors as well as West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin for a better flood control plan for the village.
At the beginning of this year, the council was made aware of a government fund that is intended to help “level” flood protection.
Worcestershire County Council had the opportunity to apply for £ 4.8 million to help build roads near Powick.
At that time, the council confirmed that it is working with the environmental agency to develop a plan while the formal report on last year’s floods is formalized.
A Worcestershire County Council spokesman said: “We are working with the Environmental Protection Agency to investigate the feasibility of an integrated program for Powick to improve flood resistance on properties and the A449 in the south.
“Every project should have been fully modeled, measured, drafted, financed, with planning approval and a strong business case.”