East Riding of Yorkshire Council and Hull City Council are working in partnership on two large flood alleviation schemes, which would protect residential and business premises in the Haltemprice and west Hull areas.
Engineers are currently working on an urban catchment model before assessing various flood risk options to tackle significant rainfall events, such as those of June 2007, which saw around 10,000 properties in Hull and the East Riding flood.
Feasibility works on the Willerby and Derringham Flood Alleviation Scheme (WaDFAS) and the Cottingham Orchard Park Flood Alleviation Scheme (COPFAS) have been underway since last year, after £175,000 of funding was secured.
The schemes recently gained further support from the Environment Agency and the promise of further feasibility funding of £365,000, bringing total funding to £540,000.
This extra funding will allow engineers working on the scheme to continue modelling work and assess various flood risk options for the schemes, including analysing the environmental impacts, before submitting final funding bids to the Environment Agency for Flood Defence Grant in Aid (FDGiA) and the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) for European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to develop the schemes.
Councillor Stephen Parnaby OBE, leader of East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said: “This feasibility funding is excellent news. Both councils take flood prevention very seriously and these two schemes would go a long way in reducing the risk of flooding for thousands of properties against the kind of severe rainfall we saw in the summer of 2007.
“The urban catchment model currently being devised is certainly one of the most complex drainage models attempted in the UK and possibly even in Europe. Once complete, our engineers will be able to devise and verify the best options for any future works before seeking feedback from residents.”
Councillor Stephen Brady, leader of Hull City Council, said: “Hull City Council and East Riding of Yorkshire Council continue to work in partnership on these vital schemes to protect our residents from future flood events. All partners are committed to working together to reduce the risks of future flooding in these areas.”
The development of the schemes is ongoing, but once the options have been assessed, East Riding of Yorkshire and Hull City Council will consult jointly with members and residents, with the aim of beginning work in autumn 2013 and concluding the schemes by spring 2015, subject to successful funding bids, planning approval and land acquisitions.
