New £30m plan for wildlife habitat around The Humber approved

The project by the Environment Agency (EA) and Associated British Ports will see flood defences south of Patrington moved inland and more than 400 acres of agricultural land become new intertidal habitat after a breach is made in the old embankment.

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However, South Holderness Internal Drainage Board (IDB), which manages local water levels, is objecting.

The IDB says moving defences inland will leave the “obsolete” Winestead Outstrays pumping station on a promontory, potentially making it unsafe for staff and contractors to access during a flood.

Ralph Ward, the clerk to the IDB, said there are concerns that there could be a repeat of the flooding seen in 2007, caused by the pumping station – now 12 years older – failing.

He said: “Our main concern is that the pumping station is beyond its working life and will end up stuck on a promontory in the middle of the river and EA staff and our contractors will not be able to access it in time of a storm – the very time that the pumps need to be working.

“If the electricity goes down – which is what happened in the floods of 2007 – nobody will be able to access it to repair the pumps and we would see flooding at Patrington Haven, Sunk Island and Winestead.”

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Mr Ward said there was a willingness to work with the EA, but the IDB had not yet seen a “workable” scheme, or proposals to replace the pumps.

Three residents have objected over the loss of agricultural land, the risk of malaria from mosquitos and the future of contaminated waste, originally from Hull-based chemical works, used to infill local tracks. One insisted plans to gather the waste on site and cap it with impermeable materials is “unacceptable.”

The IDB has been supported by Patrington parish council, which also objects. However, Skeffling Parish Council is backing the plans, saying it will give them extra flood protection.

The scheme is legally required because industrial development and hard defences – including Hull’s new £42m tidal wall – are robbing birds, including endangered curlews, of their natural habitat, mud flat s and saltmarsh.

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East Riding councillors meeting on Thursday are recommended to accept the proposals.

EA documents state that flood risk will be cut for 551 homes and businesses with existing defences replaced with higher and wider embankments. An assessment concluded that the scheme would “not alter” the pumping station’s resilience. The EA was approached for comment.