A new replacement gate is being air-lifted into place at the Foss Barrier next week, marking a major milestone in a £38m upgrade that will reduce flood.
AN MP says York residents and businesses are still waiting for the flooding protection they need, five years after the city was devastated by the Boxing Day floods of 2015. York Central MP Rachael Maskell claimed that in spite of ever more frequent flooding along the River Ouse, property level resilience measures were yet to be installed, following significant delays and poor contract management . She claimed: “While residents would have preferred a community scheme, they have been left having to foot bills of £1,000s to protect their homes where the grant doesn’t stretch far enough. “While we witness flood walls being raised, it is disappointing that the Government has failed to invest in upper catchment management to ‘slow the flow’ through planting, restoring land use and water storage.
Scarborough Bridge to Lendal Bridge We are improving the existing flood defences here to reduce the risk of flooding to 42 homes and 15 businesses within the Marygate community of York. What we’ve done so far: • Obtained planning permission from City of York Council to improve the flood embankment in Museum Gardens • Worked closely with York Museum Trust, City of York Council and Historic England to come up with a design that not only acts as a viable flood defence, but also fits in with this much used and well-loved public space • Agreed a design that minimises the impact on the Hospitium and protects the true service tree, which is very rare and was a key concern for local people.
December 2015 had been the wettest calendar month for the UK since records began in 1910. At 6:35pm on Boxing Day, worried about the sheer volume of water pouring down the Foss, the Environment Agency decided to open the Foss Barrier. The agency was concerned about water getting into the pumping station and damaging the electrics, in which case the barrier could have been stuck in place. It was a decision that sparked huge debate - although an independent flood inquiry ultimately concluded that the Agency had made the right call, and prevented even worse flooding. It didn’t necessarily seem that way at the time. When the flood waters finally began to recede, almost 500 homes, many alongside the Foss, Tang Hall Beck and Osbaldwick Beck, had been inundated. A further 170-plus commercial properties - including shops and restaurants on Fossgate and Walmgate, and York’s BT Telephone exchange - had also been flooded.
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