THIS is how York’s Foss Barrier pumping station will look when a £17 million upgrade is completed and cladding has been installed.

The Environment Agency has released the artist’s impression of the complex on the edge of St George’s Field car park as it prepares to switch the station over to a massive new power supply next week.

A spokesman said work was continuing at pace and, in coming months, the agency would be installing metal cladding with a ‘brown patina that blends in with the natural environment.’

He said: “We are pleased to say the process of transferring the pumps over to a new high-powered supply is currently taking place.

“We will have the capability of pumping 50 cubic metres a second at the barrier by the end of next week.

“Over the coming months, we will continue to further improve the resilience of the Foss Barrier.

“As well as the overhaul of the main pumping station, it is expected that improvement work to the actual barrier and its gate structure will begin in the coming months.”

The barrier was built after the floods of 1982 to prevent floodwaters from the River Ouse backing up the River Foss and causing severe flooding in areas such as Foss Islands Road and Huntington Road.

The pumping station was installed to prevent the Foss flow backing up behind the barrier by pumping it straight into the Ouse.

The current upgrade was ordered after the station was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of water coming down the River Foss on Boxing Day, 2015, equal to about 40 tonnes per second. The barrier had to be lifted and hundreds of homes and businesses along the Foss and its tributaries were then inundated.

The station has been capable of pumping up to 40 tonnes per second since Christmas 2016, following the installation of eight powerful new pumps.

The agency originally hoped to move to a new more powerful electricity supply by Boxing Day 2017, the second anniversary of the 2015 floods, enabling the complex to pump up to 50 tonnes of water per second.

But it revealed on Boxing Day that the timetable for the transfer to the new supply - which would be powerful enough to supply heating and lighting to 1,200 homes - had slipped back to January.

It said this would enable it to maintain the current tried and tested power supply over Christmas, and avoid any unforeseen risks during the holiday period when suppliers were unavailable.

It added that further work would be needed to complete work to the building and landscape the site later in the year.