PLANS have been submitted to build new flood defences in the Selby area.

The Environment Agency has submitted plans to Selby District Council to build a new 620m flood alleviation embankment and land engineering works at Temple Hirst.

A report submitted with the plans said there were a number of problems with the riverbank which had been made worse during the Boxing Day floods in 2015, meaning extensive work was needed.

It said: “Works are now required to reconstruct the embankment and maintain the level of flood defence to Temple Hirst.

“This will be achieved by the construction of a new embankment away from the river meander out of the zone of influence of the mining subsidence, which ties into the existing embankment.”

The report noted impacts of the works would mean some high-quality land would be lost due to changes to the embankment.

It said: “However, the construction impacts will be mitigated through considerate construction practices including the sustainable use of material from the application site, and the loss of potential best and most versatile land will be mitigated against through the flood protection improvements brought by the scheme, reconnection of the river with its floodplain and the creation of grazing marsh between the new flood embankment and the River Aire.”

The Environment Agency has advised land owners about the plans - which will see the existing flood defences at Temple Hirst raised from about seven metres to almost eight metres high. One resident has objected to the plans through the council’s website, claiming the new embankment would reduce her house value, increase her house insurance, spoil her view, and potentially flood her home. A decision is due on the plans in June.