A major river route in York city centre has reopened following the completion of a £2.5 million flood defence scheme by the Environment Agency.
Work to install improved flood gates under the arch of Lendal Bridge, which started five months ago, is now complete, reducing the risk of flooding to 39 homes and businesses between Scarborough Bridge and Ouse Bridge.
The £2.5 million works are part of the York Flood Alleviation Scheme, where £45 million is being invested in the city to better protect 2,000 homes from flooding.
As part of the works, the Environment Agency has:
raised the flood wall and replaced all of the gates on North Street, and installed demountable flood barriers at two entrances to Memorial Gardens
built a new flood wall and embankment between War Memorial Gardens and Leeman Road
widened the flood gate at the upper end of North Street Gardens to improve access to the riverside
waterproofed the car park under the Park Inn and our Community Flood Hub building.
The final stage of the scheme has involved installing taller and stronger flood gates under Lendal Bridge. The team has flood tested the new flood gate, using 3,500 litres of water.
During the works under Lendal Bridge, Environment Agency contractors used solar panels and a solar powered generator as part of efforts to lower carbon emissions during construction.
The use of the solar powered generator aimed to reduce generator emissions by 85 per cent, compared to using a regular generator.
Mark Fuller, project lead at the Environment Agency, said:
“This important work under one of York’s main bridges has been complex but essential to ensure we upgrade the flood gates to better protect homes and businesses, making them more resilient to the impacts of climate change.
“Installing a gate in this location has been challenging and has taken us longer than expected but the new gate is taller so it can protect against a higher flood level as well as achieving a greatly reduced leakage rate.”
Cllr Paula Widdowson, Executive Member for Environment and Climate Change commented:
“The Environment Agency’s work in York will protect more than 2,000 homes and businesses, particularly in local communities which unfortunately have had to regularly endure worsening flooding events.
“City of York Council is working in partnership with the Environment Agency to help them deliver this ambitious and necessary work to ensure that residents and businesses in York are better protected in the future.”
The reopening comes ahead of the Environment Agency’s Flood Action Week, where people are being encouraged to find out more information on how to make their homes, businesses and communities more resilient to flooding, and sign up for flood warnings.
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