Work starts on scheme to prevent flooding

A NEW £100,000 flood alleviation scheme has begun in the village of Cherry Burton in the latest move to reduce the damage caused by flooding in the area.

The scheme, funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, will be combined with other projects, such as the minor reshaping of fields north of Canada Drive, and the existing work to renovate drainage systems.

The latest element of the defence scheme will work by diverting flood water through a different route during periods of exceptional rain fall, and will also be constructed from recycled materials. Work is set to be finished by the end of January 2012, and will be carried out by local contractor Wold Construction.

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East Riding Council’s leader, Coun Stephen Parnaby, said: “The council takes flood prevention very seriously and has been involved in over 100 schemes in the past four years.

“Like many parts of the East Riding, Cherry Burton was subject to flooding in 2007, causing damage to both residential and business properties, and the works being carried out in Canada Drive will reduce the risk of flooding should a similar weather occurrence happen in the future.

“The council is also delighted that the scheme is being constructed by Beverley-based contractor Wold Construction, ensuring that jobs are safeguarded in the construction industry in the East Riding.”

The council has admitted it was “stretched to its limit” by the floods, which damaged 6,019 homes and 93 businesses in the borough. In neighbouring Hull, the worst-affected local authority in the country, more than 8,000 homes and hundreds of businesses were affected.

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A report to an East Riding Council committee this week revealed that less than one in four of the 168 town and parish councils in the area has established an emergency contingency plan, despite calls to do so after the floods.

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