More homes protected as city extends flood response plans

Paul Jeeves

HUNDREDS of homes and businesses in one of Yorkshire’s most notorious flooding blackspots are being given extra protection to help reduce the risk of sudden deluges.

York Council has carried out a major review of its emergency response policies in the city and details have been announced for a local flood risk management strategy after the Government ordered a national report into the 2007 deluge.

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Ministers commissioned the review of national disaster strategies in the wake of the floods of 2007 after fears were raised that the threat of climate change was increasing the likelihood of flash floods.

Concerns have been amplified in York as the city’s Victorian sewer system may not be able to cope with repeated flash flooding so the contingency plans were drawn up.

The latest proposals have included revisions to the city’s policies so that “at risk” residents and business owners will get sandbags, subject to availability, when flooding occurs.

Council policies have always covered areas at risk from river flooding – but they now include properties under threat from surface run-off, groundwater, and ordinary watercourses, such flash flooding from heavy rain.

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A York Council spokeswoman said: “The council is acutely aware of the specific flooding problems that are faced by people living and working in York, and we are doing all we can to minimise the risks.

“The revised policies are aimed at providing more protection, although it is not solely the responsibility of the council - home and business owners need to be aware that it is their responsibility to protect their own property.”

York escaped the worst of the consequences of downpours in 2007 in comparison with cities such as Hull and Sheffield, but a review was ordered to assess the state of the city’s sewers and drainage systems after they were swamped by water.

The council requested a review of the maintenance of the roadside galleys – which drain the highways – to make sure that they cope with heavy rainfall.

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Records revealed that 138 locations reported flood-related problems in York during the downpour three years ago, including seven believed to be homes.

However, the city faced its biggest challenge in living memory when dealing with a deluge in November 2000, when 1,661 properties in the region were flooded.

A report due to go before York Council’s executive next Tuesday, when the new strategy is due to be approved, has admitted that resources were at “breaking point” during the disaster a decade ago.

Under the latest proposals, council officers have stressed that the provision of sandbags will be kept under constant review during flooding incidents and may be stopped at any time if stocks become critical.

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Meanwhile, another scheme has been completed to protect homes in a North Yorkshire village after work was carried out to a nearby flood plain.

The Environment Agency has finished re-building an area of land in Sinnington, near Pickering, next to the River Seven underneath the A170 road bridge.

Sections of the field were lowered and obstacles such as hedges were removed to create a flood plain to hold water during heavy rain, reducing the risk of flooding in Sinnington.

The 4,500 project, which took a week to complete, was funded by the Yorkshire Regional Flood Defence Committee which levies local authorities to pay for work that is not eligible for national funding.

Work is continuing on a wider scheme to protect both Pickering and Sinnington by using nature to combat flooding including planting trees to slow the run-off.