At its meeting on Tuesday 28 February, the council’s cabinet approved around 60 further local, surface water flood mitigation schemes which will benefit communities across the East Riding.
Over £2 million will be spent as part of the council’s second programme of planned works to tackle flood issues at local problem spots which were highlighted in the severe floods of summer 2007.
The initiative has been part of the council’s earlier ‘fiscal stimulus’ aimed at bringing forward investment to improve the East Riding’s infrastructure and help assist the local economy at a difficult time. The council will contribute £2 million and match funding of a further £0.5 million has already been obtained from partners including local community contributions.
The council has already distributed £4.5 million for local flood mitigation work which, to date, has seen 160 schemes completed with a further 22 set to be achieved by June 2012.
The council has consulted closely with parish councils and local flood action groups to agree criteria for the distribution of the funding.
Councillor Symon Fraser, the council’s portfolio holder for the environment, housing and planning, said: “The council has been closely involved with partners in many larger flood management schemes but these in the main are targeted at bigger centres of population and have more chance of attracting national funding help.
“However, local flood mitigation work is also very important in the East Riding where many communities at risk live in small settlements which do not meet the criteria for national funding that is targeted at the urban and more densely populated areas.
“We have worked very closely with local people, bringing together their own invaluable knowledge and the council’s expertise, to ensure that the flood mitigation work proposed is effective in helping build more resilient communities.
“The money available for local flood mitigation schemes has been oversubscribed but the council will wherever possible be looking for some joint funding for these schemes, which would then allow some other schemes that have missed out to be included on the programme.”
