ROAD raising in a flood-hit Worcestershire village could cost nearly £5million if the county council bids for funding.

As part of a government fund to help “level up” flood defences, Worcestershire County Council could bid for £4.8 million to help raise roads near Powick, which have regularly been flooded in recent years.

West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin has called on the council to bid for the funding, which has been set aside by the government to help improve infrastructure around the country.

Mrs Baldwin called for the county to bid, saying: “I have been told that the work can’t run in parallel with the current work to dual the Carrington Road bridge, but I think this project meets the criteria for the ‘Levelling Up’ fund which aims to support spade ready projects which improve our infrastructure.

“I’m hoping that we will see the report into last year’s floods very soon and this will trigger the work to bid into the fund and make this project financially possible.

"I will be happy to champion a bid with the relevant Ministers as soon as it is drafted and I am sure everyone would like to see this work, and the improvements to Powick’s flood defences, happen sooner rather than later.”

Flooding at the major roundabout has caused serious delays in recent years and when the roads were overwhelmed last year at Powick, Upon-upon-Severn and Severn Stoke, motorists were forced to take major detours to get to and from work.

The county council has confirmed that it is working with the Environment Agency to develop a plan while the formal report on last year’s flooding is being formalised.

A Worcestershire County Council spokesman said: "We are working with the Environment Agency to investigate the feasibility of an integrated scheme for Powick to improve flood resilience for properties and the A449 south.

"Any scheme would need to be fully modelled, surveyed, designed, funded, have planning approval and a strong business case."

2020's floods devastated Powick, with 30 families forced out of their homes following Storm Christoph, with many having to be put up in nearby Stanbrook Abbey, as well as the Abbey Hotel in Malvern.

A preliminary investigation carried out by the agency confirmed that the flood defence scheme built in 2011 was overtopped by the river Teme in February, but the agency said the Powick defences “did not fail”.