LONG-awaited flood defences funded by villagers in the first scheme of its type nationally have finally been completed after the project was blighted by bad weather and bureaucracy.
The scheme to protect properties in the village of Elvington, near York, has taken more than two-and-a-half years to finish, in spite of predictions it would be completed in just 10 weeks.
The village's 1,200 residents have become the first rural
community in the country to help pay for flood defences to protect their own homes, as the scheme did not meet the criteria for Government funding.
The cost of the scheme has now risen to £400,000 – £50,000 up on initial estimates, although the increased bill has been picked up by the Yorkshire Regional Flood Defence Committee.
Elvington Parish Council chairman Ian Bailey, who has lived in the village for 20 years, said: "We can now sleep easy for the first time knowing that there are proper flood defences in place to protect our homes and ensure that the village is not cut off by rising waters.
"It has taken a great deal of dogged determination to ensure the scheme became a reality, but it does show what communities can do if they have this self-help philosophy." Construction began in September last year on a pumping station and that was overseen by York Council, which also paid £20,000 towards the project.
As part of the defences, the Yorkshire Regional Flood Defence Committee paid for an embankment across Elvington Beck and a culvert to carry the beck under the embankment.
The parish council has borrowed £40,000 towards the scheme, which will be recouped from the parish precept over 15 years, costing the average household an extra £8 a year.
The village also secured a £5,000 Lottery grant and support from local businesses.
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