Trust ebbs away from Environment Agency over flood prevention – Yorkshire Post Letters

I FIND it very hard to believe that the report from the East Riding of Yorkshire Council (ERYC) on the flooding of Snaith and Fishlake is taking so long to prepare.

Surely it is simplicity itself – ‘water runs downhill’? Heavy rainfall on the western upland catchment flowed eastwards downstream to the flat low lying outfall section. A process that had been occurring for thousands of years.

The difference however, was that following a previous heavy rainfall event that caused flooding in Sheffield the Environment Agency (EA) had raised the banks of the outfall river to increase its capacity and so prevent Sheffield from flooding.

The increased flow without any improvement to the low lying outfall section was bound to cause flooding. Transferring the flood risk from one area to another is wrong. The rule in any flood alleviation scheme should be that the entire catchment area has to be taken into consideration.

In the meantime, the flooded areas are still at further risk of flooding. I’m pleased my home isn’t dependent on the EA and ERYC to protect it from flooding. Where are the politicians who are supposed to be looking after this area and the people in it?

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Thank you

James Mitchinson