Residents will hold a crisis public meeting to resolve major flooding problems – after one resident was forced to cancel a £1,000 holiday when she found herself trapped in the village.
Perys Miller, of Millstream, Worthen, had hoped to meet up with a friend in Lanzarote two weeks ago – but was forced to shelve her plans after she was unable to cross flooded roads in the village at 4am. She has now lodged an insurance claim.
Villagers will meet with south Shropshire MP Philip Dunne, next Friday (April 11), as part of their on-going campaign to bring in measures to prevent the Worthen Brook from flooding.
Mr Dunne is also set to raise the issue with Environment Agency officials tomorrow, Friday, alongside Phillip Morgan, the village’s district councillor.
Residents in affected streets – including Brookside Close, Millstream, Millstream Bank and Rectory Gardens – had signed a petition which they handed over to Mr Dunne in September.
But the villagers’ campaign received a boost this week when officials at South Shropshire Housing Association and South Shropshire District Council bosses agreed to contribute to clearing the brook out to alleviate the problems.
The two organisations have been in a long-running dispute to determine which is responsible for maintaining land next to the brook.
Robert Miller, Perys’s husband and one of the campaigning residents, said: “At 4am my wife couldn’t get out as the road was flooded – she had to cancel her holiday from Manchester Airport and her friend who was already out in Lanzarote was left high and dry.”
Mr Dunne said: “The meeting next week has been arranged for local residents and elected representatives, and I’m also going to bring this up with Environment Agency officials tomorrow with Phillip Morgan.” Next Friday’s public meeting will take place at Pots and Patios in the village from 11.30am.