Work begins on city flood defences

WORK has started on multi-million pound flood defences to protect a Yorkshire city after the long-awaited project previously fell victim to a shortage of Government funding.

The 14.4m scheme aims to reduce the risk of flooding to 47m of homes, businesses and infrastructure in Ripon.

The North Yorkshire city has been repeatedly hit by flooding, with six major deluges swamping properties since 1982. The last flood was just three years ago.

Ripon’s long history of flooding has been caused largely by the city’s location at the point where the rivers Skell, Laver and Ure meet, although major developments during recent decades have exacerbated the problems.

However, the flood defence scheme was one of a series of projects to be affected by a lack of funding from Westminster and was shelved in 2006.

Civic leaders and flood campaigners yesterday welcomed its resurrection.

Ripon’s mayor, David Parnaby, said: “Ripon has suffered from the effects of flooding for hundreds of years and during the 20th century the population and the actual area of the city increased threefold, exacerbating the existing problems.

“I am delighted to be able to witness the start of this comprehensive flood defence scheme which will protect so many homes and businesses in the city.”

Contractors have been carrying out preparatory work since October last year, but yesterday’s ceremony officially marked the start of the construction phase of the defences, which are due to be completed in the spring of 2011.

The scheme, which will reduce the risk of flooding from the rivers Ure, Laver and Skell, will protect 548 homes and 96 businesses.

The project includes building an earth dam for a new reservoir at Birkby Nab on the River Laver, which will be about 430 yards long, up to 100 yards wide and 30ft high.

When full, the reservoir will hold nearly 220m gallons of water – enough to fill 400 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

Other work includes creating flood defences along Borrage Lane and alterations to Borrage Bridge, building walls and embankments along the River Skell at Fisher Green and providing extra protection for the A61 underpass.

Roads will be raised and an embankment built in the North Bridge area, while Alma Weir will be replaced with a new river level gauging station upstream.

Ripon’s deputy mayor, Sylvia Brierley, who chairs Ripon City Council’s flood defence working group, said: “I am delighted that work on the flood defences is now starting.

“The residents of Ripon, whose lives have been devastated by flooding in the past, will be breathing sighs of relief.”

Environment Agency officers drew up details for the different sections of the scheme and secured funding before approval was finally granted in July last year.

However, the Yorkshire Post revealed in March 2006 that the Ripon project had been shelved only three months after it had been given approval.

The scheme would have cost 11.7m four years ago, but its price has escalated due to above-inflation increases in the construction industry’s fees , according to the Environment Agency. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) maintained funding for flood defences nationally will have risen from 600m in 2007-08 to 784m in 2010-11.

A spokeswoman added: “Defra is committed to protecting people and property, both inland and on the coast – where it is technically feasible to do so and sustainable in the long term.”

The Environment Agency will be opening an office in Fisher Green for residents to view progress and more information is available at www.environment-agency.gov.uk/riponfas

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