AN important issue on the agenda for Tenbury Town Council and its new Mayor Sue Perry will be what to do about the risk of flooding.

Harriett Baldwin, whose West Worcestershire constituency includes Tenbury, has pledged to do all she can to try to secure funding for a scheme to protect the town.

But unlike many of the other towns that she represents Tenbury is still vulnerable and without protection.

Although recent heavy rain that caused serious flooding in Birmingham missed Tenbury it served as a reminder of the constant risk.

Mark Willis, who was Mayor for four years before stepping down in May had made flooding a priority but stepped down without a defence scheme in place.

He has always said that it is a case of when rather than if there is another serious flood.

Government rules determine how the Environment Agency is able to spend its money and this means that according to the formula the more than £5 million needed to provide a flood defence scheme for Tenbury cannot be justified despite the damage and closure of businesses that followed from the floods more than a deacde ago that also washed away buildings.