Delay to York neighbourhood's flood defences prompts meeting

An aerial view of the Boxing Day floods after the River Ouse and River Foss bursts their banks in York city centre. Picture: Joe Giddens/PA Wire.

Members of the community contacted their local MP Rachael Maskell over fears that new flood defences earmarked for the Clementhorpe area of the city have been delayed.

Residents have called for defences to be put up to protect homes in River Street, Collenso Street, Lower Darnborough Street and Lower Ebor Street since the city suffered major flooding in 2015.

Ms Maskell, Labour MP for York Central, said: “I’ve been contacted by a number of residents from the Clementhorpe area who tell me that, two years on from the Boxing Day floods of 2015, there are still no flood defences in place. It is no surprise to learn that the residents are extremely worried about this. We cannot predict the weather and we do not know when York will flood again.

“The residents were told that flood protection would be in place by this winter and it is unacceptable to learn that it could be another year before the flood defences are ready. If we were to have another flood in the meantime hundreds of homes could be affected.”

Ms Maskell and Micklegate councillor Jonny Crawshaw have organised the public meeting which will take place at Southlands Methodist Church in Bishopthorpe Road on January 11 at 6pm.

Steve Wragg, York Council’s flood risk and asset manager, who will attend the meeting alongside Ben Hughes, flood and coastal risk manager at the Environment Agency (EA), said: “We are working with the EA to develop a co-ordinated range of flood alleviation schemes across the city.

“Work in Clementhorpe is being developed as a priority and forms part of a wider solution stretching from Skeldergate Bridge to south of the Millennium Bridge. For it to be as effective as possible, it is essential that all implications must be fully resolved before construction can start.”