District residents may ask to take over flood-risk pumping

A new plan on how to manage flood risk over the the next 20 years says "almost all" residents, property and land in the River Hull area will continue to be protected to a "high standard."

In total they hope to secure 109m to protect the area, including 84,000 homes and businesses in Hull.

However the agency insists there are defences and pumping stations on the upper reaches of the river "which cannot continue to be supported."

It also suggests there will not be dredging of large tracts of the River Hull, apart from at tidal outfalls – as it believes this will not "significantly reduce flood risk."

The pumping station in question are at Wilfholme, Hempholme and Tickton. Operated and owned by the Environment Agency (EA), they are paid for by Government funding and contributions from Internal Drainage Boards, which get their funding from local landowners.

The Beverley and North Holderness Internal Drainage Board pays around 200,000 a year towards the stations' maintenance among others.

However the agency says it can only draw on 240,000 funding for the three over the next 20 years, equivalent to two years' running costs. It admits without the stations "some land will be flooded for much longer, with some areas being permanently water-logged and others having such poor drainage that agricultural use and crop yields will be seriously affected."

In all 1,400 hectares would be affected in a wet winter, an extra 150 hectares more than is affected at present.

The funding it expects to receive also falls far short of what is needed to repair defences already in a poor condition above Hempholme Weir. If they fail there would be a risk of flooding to a "large" area of agricultural land, two properties and there would be a "significant effect" on water abstraction from the Tophill Low water treatment plant, which supplies drinking water to east Hull and Holderness.

The agency suggests setting up a "representative" group to look at ways of getting extra funding.

Martin Voase, who has farmed at High Baswick all his life, said it would be a "disaster" if the agency allowed the drainage system to deteriorate any further. On his stretch of the river it built up the banks but did nothing to improve the channel, which was blocked by silt, reedbeds and trees growing on the sides. He said: "We've got a good system – all it needs is maintenance and upkeep."

Mr Voase insists the agency cannot see the bigger picture and if the land gets wet it can no longer act as a safety valve in times of a deluge – risking not only his land but thousands of properties in Hull.

National Farmers' Union secretary for Holderness Ed Davey said: "If necessary at the end of the day you'd ask for a considerable overhaul in the way the Environment Agency manages its responsibilities in this neck of the woods with a view to devolving the responsibility to other organisations like internal drainage boards who can do it for less."

Public consultation runs until August 13.

Information on the draft River Hull Flood Risk Management Strategy can be found on the Environment Agency's website at www.environment-agency.gov.uk/riverhullstrategy.

People can find out more at public events, with the first at Cherry Burton village Hall, between 2pm and 7pm on June 15.