Residents urged to have their say on flood defence project

The MP attended a drop-in session yesterday at St Barnabas Church Hall, Salisbury Terrace, to discuss the proposals for the Water End and Leeman Road area, expected to start in 2012.

Mr Bayley has been lobbying the Government and Environment Agency to get a timetable to improve the Leeman Road flood defences ever since the severe floods of 2000.

In a recent letter to the MP, Environment Minister Hugh Irranca-Davies said a number of possible options had been identified, which might include increasing the height and extent of the existing defences.

Yesterday's session was for the Environment Agency to seek the views of residents, gather local knowledge, and explain how the way that the community used local open space affected flooding.

Mr Bayley added: "I have been lobbying the Government and the agency to set a date to start the new scheme, and I am pleased that funding has now been allocated by the Government.

"I vividly remember the night when hundreds of local residents and the army built the sandbag wall to protect Leeman Road from the flood in the year 2000.

"I have been pressing for permanent improvements to the city's flood defences ever since then."

Further consultations will take place in the months ahead.

"I hope local residents will attend and give their views on the scheme to the Environment Agency staff," Mr Bayley added.

The Environment Agency said Leeman Road last flooded in 1978. Existing defences, built in 1980, held in 1982 and 2000, although sandbags were needed along the embankment as the Ouse came within inches of breaking its banks. Part of the city was also hit by surface water flooding.

The agency said it was looking to reduce the flood risk by improving existing defences and had identified possible options that may involve increasing the height and extent of the barriers.

It had improved the defences in Rawcliffe and some other parts of the city, but improvements were still needed for the Leeman Road area.