The Environment Agency has announced a new five-year plan to better protect York against flooding - the options are based on the Agency's ambition to achieve a consistent standard of flood protection across the city.
The plan sets out the options to reduce the risk of flooding to 2,000 properties across 10 York communities over the next five years and looks at a range of potential flood reduction measures including;
- the creation of storage areas,
- increasing pumping capacity
- raising and building new walls
- raising land and
- building embankments.
Following the devastating floods of Boxing Day 2015 which affected over 600 properties in York, the government committed £45 million to reduce flood risk and increase resilience to at least 2,000 properties at risk and keep the city open for business during major floods.
Tony Andryszewski, flood risk manager at the Environment Agency said:
"Flood risk is increasing in York and our existing defences have stood up well to flooding in the past, but with climate change and the threat of flooding increasing we need to act now to reduce flood risk to the properties and businesses in York."
“We have listened to what residents and businesses were saying to us back in May and we are now sharing our outline plans at an exhibition on 25 and 26 November at Hotel 53 in York.”
The funding announced by government earlier in the year is in addition to the £17 million earmarked for the upgrade and improvement of the Foss Barrier Pumping Station. Since the announcement of the additional funding, the Agency has been assessing what changes could be made to the existing flood defences within the city and what new defences could be built. The results of this have been summarised within this plan. The plan also updates the £17 million improvement project that is currently under way at the Foss Barrier.
Looking further ahead the ambition is to develop a longer term plan for the city concentrating on the wider Ouse catchment and exploring options such as stemming the flow and holding it in the peat on the moors and also creating storage in the washlands in the upper catchment.
The Environment Agency will begin consultation with key partners and community groups on the development of this longer-term plan to manage flood risk across York in April next year.
Residents and businesses will be able to view and discuss the proposals set out in the plan at the public exhibition later this month.
Click here to download the plan.
Waterbriefing is media partner with the Environment Agency’s major three-day conference and exhibition Flood and Coast 2017 which takes place from 28th to 30th March 2017 in Telford. Click here for more information