'Time will tell': What do Bewdley residents think of the town's new £10 million River Severn flood defences?
As Bewdley's new flood defences face their first major test, we asked townspeople whether they think the £10 million scheme can help turn the tide in the struggle against costly annual floods.
At least once a year, Beales Corner in Bewdley is swamped when the nearby River Severn rises, leaving houses, roads, and businesses filled with dirty water and debris.
As a result residents are left pumping water from their properties, forced to spend hundreds to thousands of pounds on repairs and water pumping equipment.
However, a new flood defence system has brought promises of a quicker and "more sustainable" long-term solution.
The 300-metre Beales Corner Flood Risk Management Scheme, which cost approximately £10m and was officially opened in September, runs from Pleasant Harbour House to Millside Court.
It includes flood walls, gates and demountable barriers, similar to the existing system used at nearby Severnside.
When flooding is predicted, Environment Agency teams can close the floodgates and put up the demountable barriers to prevent floodwater from the Severn entering the area.
