I WAS amazed to read on your letters page, a resident objecting to the proposed River Severn flood defence barrier project on Severnside North, Bewdley.

Having lived next to the river, but fortunately above ground level, for the past 12 months I witnessed how much suffering my neighbours went through in November and December and how much damage was caused to properties due to flooding.

I would have thought, therefore, that everyone close to the river would be totally behind the project.

In the letter it was mentioned that water does not always have to come in through the front door to flood a property.

I think most people are aware of that anyway and anyone who took the trouble to attend the flood defence meeting in February would know the Environment Agency are investigating every aspect of the movement of water both from the river itself and underneath the town.

I can't imagine millions of pounds being spent on defences that might not work and indeed it was stated at the meeting that unless the Environment Agency were certain the Severnside North defence system could cope totally with a flood it would not go ahead.

I certainly learned a lot from the meeting and I understand there will be another one soon to update all interested parties of developments.

There has been a lot of hard work already carried out and the last thing the residents who have been repeatedly flooded need is negativity from their neighbours.

So, may I suggest that we all leave the final decisions as to whether a flood defence system could work or not to the experts.

From what I can see they are leaving nothing to chance and if it does go ahead there will be a lot of people in the future saved from the misery we all saw last year.

DAVE HARRELL

Dog Lane

Bewdley