£3.2m project to begin at flooding blackspot

WORK will begin this month on a long-awaited scheme to protect hundreds of homes and businesses in one of York’s worst flooding blackspots and replace ageing defences dating back three decades.

The Environment Agency confirmed yesterday that contractors will start constructing the new £3.2m defences for the Water End and Leeman Road area of the city to help protect 400 homes and businesses at the end of January.

The announcement comes after the city has been repeatedly hit by major flooding during recent months after the UK experienced its second wettest year on record in 2012.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The River Ouse in York peaked at about 16.5ft above normal summer levels in September after the worst autumn storm to hit the UK in 30 years – the second highest level since records began and only beaten by the disaster which swamped the city in 2000.

Project manager Helen Tattersdale said: “The area has a long history of flooding from the River Ouse. Surface water and sewers also contribute to flood problems but our scheme will provide a solution to many of the difficulties faced by residents.”

The Water End neighbourhood is one of York’s worst flooding blackspots, and the current defences built in the early 1980s were almost breached during the flooding disaster in 2000.

The new scheme will involve building a brick-clad flood wall, almost 1,000ft long, along a section of Water End.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

New defences will also be created around Landing Lane, while the existing embankment behind Swinerton Avenue and the parkland behind St Barnabas School will be raised.

Innovative remedial work will help to reduce seepage through the existing embankments, while an early phase of construction will involve replacing existing underground valves, known as penstocks, to stop river water entering Yorkshire Water’s system.

The Environment Agency will be hosting a public meeting at St Barnabas School in Jubilee Terrace, Leeman Road, from 3.30pm to 7.30pm on Tuesday next week to present final details of the design.