Farmer claims £800,000 water project has left drain stagnant

STOPPING the flow of a major land drain to test new pumps has created a “huge reservoir of stagnant water”, according to a Holderness farmer.

Machinery at East Hull pumping station, which is vitally important to prevent flooding in Hull, is being tested at the end of 800,000 of improvement work.

Since July, water levels have been allowed to rise in the Holderness Drain to enable engineers to test the refurbished pumps.

However, there have been complaints from a farmer at Benningholme, in Holderness, that the high level of water has led to flooding on some of his land – and created its own problem.

Chris Shelby said holding the water back for so long had created a problem with stagnant water – which if released all once could kill fish. He fears three to four inches of rainfall could lead to flooding in low-lying areas around Leven.

He added: “The water level hasn’t been moving since July and they now have a great big drain full of stagnant water and when they move it it stinks like it did in 2007. All they can think of is dribbling this water out but at this rate it is going to be Christmas if they keep dribbling it away as the water further upstream will keep filling it up.”

A spokeswoman from the Environment Agency said they had been contacted by Mr Shelby and were seeking a solution.

She added: “Under normal weather conditions we’d have easily had the drain full by now and have done the testing. But it’s been a dry summer.

“We’ve been talking to colleagues in fisheries to make sure that when they do release the water there’s enough oxygen so it doesn’t create a problem for the fish.”