The Environment Agency has launched a new consultation on its plan for a new ‘aquagreen’ as the second phase of the £28 million Holderness Drain Flood Alleviation Scheme for Hull.

Homes flooded in Hull in 2007.  Photo courtesy of Ellie Hardy 

The proposals for a flood storage area at Castlehill to reduce flood risk to homes and businesses follow on from the construction of the new East Hull Pumping Station, which started earlier this year.

A public consultation has been launched on the proposals for a versatile green space, south of the old Bransholme Dairy Farm, which will store excess water during a flood and then slowly release it back into the drainage system after the peak of the event has passed.

The plans are completely separate to the proposals for housing development on the land to the south of the site at East Carr.

Homes in North Carr and Sutton are currently at risk of flooding from water in Holderness Drain after heavy rain. When the drain becomes full, water flows into Sutton Cross Drain, overwhelming the local drainage system and increasing the risk of flooding for homes in the area. This area almost flooded last November when other parts of Hull were hit.

The Holderness partnership scheme, led by the Environment Agency and supported by Hull City Council, East Riding of Yorkshire Council, Highways England and the Humber Local Enterprise Partnership’s Local Growth Fund Programme, will better protect around 1,000 properties and help to provide a long-term, more sustainable solution to the problem of flooding in this area.

The Humber Local Enterprise Partnership secured £2.14 million towards the project through the Local Growth Fund as part of the Government’s commitment to the Northern Powerhouse.

Environment Agency flood risk advisor for Hull, Andrew Barron, said:

“Our aim is to give residents the opportunity to have a say on our plans for Castlehill. We want to make use of their local knowledge and take into account preferences to help shape the final design of our scheme.

“The main benefit of this scheme is to significantly reduce the likelihood of flooding for properties in the North Carr and Sutton areas of Hull by storing flood water in the aquagreen.”

“Under normal weather conditions, the site will not hold water which gives us an ideal opportunity to create a more attractive place that people can enjoy spending time in which offers green space for walking, cycling and appreciating nature.”

He added that while there had been some confusion about the plans being linked to proposals for housing on the land to the south of this site at East Carr, the plans are in fact completely separate proposals.

Councillor Mike Thompson, portfolio holder for neighbourhoods, communities and environment at Hull City Council, said:

“The Castle Hill aqua green and flood protection scheme is absolutely vital and will allow us to continue to protect hundreds of homes and businesses in the Sutton and North Carr communities, who have suffered from flooding damage since 2007.

“The flood protection is similar to others we have developed in and around Hull and the East Riding, and provides a critical component in the wider protection of the whole city.

“This is not the same as the East Carr development, for which there is a separate ongoing consultation for the new housing development.”

The Holderness Drain Flood Alleviation Scheme is the latest component of the River Hull Integrated Catchment Strategy (RHICS) to move forward. The strategy provided the local framework for investment in flood alleviation in the River Hull Valley and was adopted by the partnership River Hull Board in 2015.

The construction of the ‘aquagreen’ will involve digging an extra drain, east of Sutton Cross Drain, building a new embankment beside it and digging a long wide ditch at the southern end of the site to increase the capacity for temporarily storing water during a flood.

Once a flood event is over, most of the water will drain away although the site is designed to remain wet in some areas. As part of the plans, several low spots will be raised on both sides of the Holderness Drain to reduce the risk of flood water spilling out onto the land next to the drain.

Deadline to comment on the plans is 28 September – click here to access the consultation online