A ‘COMMUNITY hub’ giving York residents the opportunity to keep up-to-date with new flood defence schemes across the city has opened its doors.

The Environment Agency’s hub, based in an old electricity sub-station in Wellington Row, near North Street, has a large interactive flume model on show, revealing how areas will be protected in future against flooding from the Ouse and Foss rivers.

Hub manager Tom Pagett said the model provides a "really useful visual way to show the effect of lots of different interventions on flows and level of rivers".

He said staff are on hand to explain how the flume model can demonstrate different hydrological principles.

Agency experts working directly on various schemes in the city are also on-hand to answer questions and discuss proposals.

Two schemes, for the Clementhorpe and New Walk areas on either sides of the Ouse, have already been published by the agency and are now on show at The Hub.

Tom said this would ensure residents who were unable to attend recent drop-ins could learn more about the plans.

“As more flood alleviation options for the city are announced, they will be put on display at the hub,” he said.

The hub demonstrates how in Clementhorpe, the agency intends to spend millions on a scheme to protect up to 150 properties in streets such as River Street and Lower Darnborough Street from another devastating flood.

The project is the first of at least 10 schemes being planned across the city using £45 million pledged to York by the Government after the December 2015 floods, which led to hundreds of homes and businesses being inundated.

The scheme involves the heightening of existing flood walls along the front of properties in Terry Avenue and the installation of a demountable flood gate at the bottom of Clementhorpe.

An underground barrier will also be created with poured concrete or metal sheet piles under a section of Terry Avenue, to prevent water from the Ouse travelling underground and rising on the far side of the demountable barrier.

The hub also shows how in New Walk, up to 15 homes and also roads, gardens and garages will be protected through remedial measures on individual properties.

There will also be measures such as the creation of extra steps at the top of flights of steps down to the riverside walk from streets such as New Walk Terrace and the raising of street levels.

The next project, which will be unveiled at the hub shortly, is for the area along North Street and the riverside up to Scarborough Bridge.

The hub will be open this week from 10am to 6pm today and between 10am and 4pm on Thursday.

It will then be closed over the Christmas period before reopening on January 8, at which point it will be open on Mondays and Thursdays between 10am and 4pm, and on Wednesdays from 10am to 6pm.