THE rains are once again with us and the scenes of flooding in the north of England remind us just how important it is to prepare for bad weather.

Over recent years we have seen six new flood defence schemes built in West Worcestershire, investing £9 million securing many homes and businesses from floods.

Yet more money was allocated in last month’s Autumn Statement to funding future schemes and, when required, I will work with the Environment Agency to put the case for funding for a permanent scheme in Tenbury.

However there is still much to do on this project but I was pleased to see that, during the summer, the town council took steps to moving towards delivering a permanent flood defence strategy for the town.

All year round the Environment Agency works to keep our communities protected from sudden flooding by clearing overgrown brooks and clearing culverts of debris. This month, the Environment Agency has been running an awareness campaign to engage with home owners and businesses to ensure they take appropriate action to prepare in case of the onset of bad weather. Flood gauges help to monitor water levels and if you live in a postcode area that could be affected by flooding, you can sign up for free alerts over phone, text message and email.

Although we do live in a beautiful part of the world, the confluence of the rivers Teme, Severn and Avon means that some areas just can’t be protected at any price.

Last time our communities were affected by floods, the Government stepped in to provide emergency funding totalling more than £400,000 to help businesses and home owners to quickly get back to normal. And the innovative flood insurance scheme set up in the last Parliament is now up and running to help people to access affordable flood insurance.

There is still much to do and I continue to work with the Environment Agency and flood affected communities such as Severn Stoke, Callow End and, of course, Tenbury to work towards delivering permanent flood protection wherever it is required.

Flooding is, unfortunately, a fact of life for some communities both in Worcestershire but also across the UK and I can assure them that we will continue to work towards finding strategies for each and every person who needs our urgent help when the flood clouds gather.