HEREFORD’S £5.5 million flood defence scheme was officially opened last week – but Environment Agency engineers have promised that their work in the county still has some way to go.

MP Paul Keetch was given the honour of speaking at the opening ceremony near the Old Bridge, where a new one-metre high wall runs down to the Bishop’s Meadow tennis courts.

Earth bunds close to the swimming pool and another wall stretching along Hinton Road have also been built to help the King George V Playing Fields act as a flood plain when the River Wye breaks its banks.

But Tim England, from the agency, promised the group would now look at solving the county’s other problem areas, particularly Hampton Bishop.

Last Friday, however, was a celebration of years of work which at first helped to fund a scheme and then build the defences, which protect 196 homes and businesses in south Hereford.

Mr Keetch said the need for the defences was highlighted just days before the official opening when heavy rainfall once again threatened many city homes.

“If we had been here last week without these new flood defences, then many houses, the Welsh Club, Belmont Roundabout and maybe even Asda would have been affected by the water,” he said.

“The city’s traffic system would have been cut in two and there would have been gridlock, bringing a disastrous effect both on businesses and people’s lives.”

Mr Keetch also commented on the aesthetics of the scheme and criticised the vociferous campaigners who tried to stop the flood defences being built last year.

He added: “To all those people who said a ‘Berlin Wall’ would cut the city in two and block views of the cathedral and to all those who said that all the trees on the Bishop’s Meadows would be cut down, I say you were wrong and we were right.”

This was backed up by Stuart Thomas, a former councillor whose work with the now defunct Wye Local Flood Defence Committee had been instrumental in attracting the funding for the flood alleviation project.

“Now that the scheme has been built, the defences actually look like they belong there,” he said. “The best thing visually about any defence is that people don’t notice it and that is what we have here.

“I think the only time people will be aware of the defences is when they will be in use and that really shows what a great job the engineers have done.”

Mr England said now that the Hereford scheme was complete, talks were taking place to look at improving the defences around Hampton Bishop.

The £3 million stank was built in 2003 to protect the community from the River Wye but last year, the River Lugg burst its banks and flooded parts of the village.

Leominster MP Bill Wiggin will meet residents and agency officials later this month to look at ways of protecting the village.

But while there is optimism for Hampton Bishop, there is still no solution on the horizon for those living on the northern bank of the River Wye in Hereford.

Mr England told the Hereford Times that a defence for Greyfriars Avenue and Wye Terrace residents was still not economically viable, especially in the current financial climate.

But he did say agency engineers would be speaking to those wanting to develop the derelict Campions Restaurant to look at the possible options of preventing flooding for those living close to Greyfriars Bridge.