Schoolchildren to learn about dangers of flooding during tour of defences

The Environment Agency is working with schoolchildren in York to help them learn about the dangers of flooding during tours of a defence scheme at one of the city’s notorious blackspots.

Building work is under way on the £3m Water End scheme, which is being carried out in partnership with York Council and is due to be finished early next year.

The Environment Agency’s project manager, Helen Tattersdale, said: “Historically, flooding has been a regular feature of life in York and we hope the children will enjoy seeing the state-of-the-art methods we use to tackle it.”

The current project involves building a new flood wall adjoining the river Ouse at Water End, installing a new defence across Landing Lane, increasing the size and height of the embankment which runs behind St Barnabas School and Swinerton Avenue, and constructing a new flood wall at Cinder Lane.

Work is also being carried out to reduce seepage through the existing embankments and to stop flood water from the river entering Yorkshire Water’s sewer and drainage system.

York Council’s cabinet member for transport, planning and sustainability, Coun Dave Merrett, said: “We hope the schoolchildren will benefit from the visits, which will teach them about the importance of this scheme and how it will help to greatly reduce the risk of flooding in Water End.”

Pupils from three local schools, St Barnabas CE Primary School, Poppleton Road Primary School and Clifton Pre-prep School, will be touring the site under supervision from the project team. It will also be a chance to teach youngsters about the dangers of building sites.