Councils join forces for floods protection

Since the floods of 2007, Hull Council has been looking at developing “aqua greens”, areas which could be bunded or landscaped to channel water away from properties in high-risk areas.

One proposal is to use municipally-owned Springhead golf course as a storage area to intercept run-off from the west of the city. The scheme would cost £2.6m.

A second project involves providing room for water storage around the edge of Orchard Park, possibly along the length of Counter Dyke, at a cost of £2.9m.

Combined with a scheme already being constructed at Raywell Valley, it is considered it would further protect Cottingham from flooding.

Hull and East Riding Council have been advised that joint funding bids which deliver a “catchment-wide” solution have the best chance of succeeding.

The plans involve building a terraced set of lagoons in the north-western corner of Springhead Golf Course to hold floodwater coming in via a new dyke.

Mr Goodman, of Cottingham Flood Action Group, said: “From the sound of it, they have taken us on board but we still believe a better result is achievable with less cost.”

However Mr Goodman, who worked for the drainage department at the Ministry of Agriculture for many years, said the group believed Raywell was too small: “We are firmly in favour of an attenuation scheme but you have to get the volume right.

“A house flooded two inches deep is as bad as a house flooded a foot deep. Attenuation must be adequate. Raywell is for 18,000 cubic metres and we believe it should be far greater.”

East Riding Council said, if funded, the schemes would complement others at Hessle and Cottingham.