TENBURY Parliamentary candidate Harriett Baldwin says the Audit Commission is spot-on when it warns the lack of a flood protection scheme is damaging the quality of life in the town.

She was commenting after the commission issued a ‘red flag’ to authorities locally to make progress on the issue.

Mrs Baldwin, the prospective Conservative candidate for the next General Election, said: “Some of the businesses here cannot now get insurance cover and this will also impact on new businesses being able, or willing, to set up here.

“This means fewer services and jobs could be available in the future, affecting young and old alike.

“There is a strong possibility that repeated flooding will mean the loss of businesses, such as hotels and local shops, and the heart of the town could be lost.”

She said that a viable technical flood protection scheme is available but that under funding rules the cost, estimated at £5 million, cannot be justified.

“But the national system for allocating money to flood prevention works doesn’t take into account the wider benefits to the community of protecting the businesses here,” she said.

“This means the scheme scores poorly, and ranks low, on the national system against other flood defence schemes, and that there is little prospect of national funding being allocated under the current system for the foreseeable future.”