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York’s riverbanks crumbling due to years of neglect

10:40am Wednesday 4th February 2009 in News By Press reporter

YEARS of neglect are to blame for the state of York’s crumbling riverbanks, the city’s leader has said.

Andrew Waller said a failure to monitor the Ouse’s banks during the 1980s had now left City of York Council with a big bill.

He was speaking after council officials warned it could cost millions of pounds and take ten years to strengthen the damaged bank, which includes cracked and fallen walls and beams.

Coun Waller said: “Had there been a regular update from the 1980s, looking proactively at this issue, we may not have been presented with the size of problem we have today. It is time for a change.”

He said money would be spent next year upgrading the most badly-damaged stretch, between Clifton and Scarborough bridges, and a long-term plan of action would then be drawn up to improve and protect other parts.

Comments(11)

Soothsayer0.1 says...
10:43am Wed 4 Feb 09

Yawn.

"Andrew Waller said a failure to monitor the Ouse’s banks during the 1980s had now left City of York Council with a big bill."

Anyone's fault but the Lib Dums' YET AGAIN...

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A taxpayer says...
10:46am Wed 4 Feb 09

Let them crumble as a wider river will mean greater waterflow and less flooding. Messing with nature is what causes these problems in the first place, followed by governments allowing development on flood plains. If you reall want to shore up the banks use all those overweight overpaid posturing councillors like Waller and his master Galloway, with Reid for ballast. Soimpson-Laing could soak up a bit of water too.

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NotChrisHNorris says...
10:47am Wed 4 Feb 09

Extremely large yawn

How long have this mob been in control? Did none of them ever walk by the river and think ..... oh looks a bit neglected!

Guess who is going to foot the bill?

The sooner they are gone the better

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Dr D says...
10:59am Wed 4 Feb 09

Well said 'ataxpayer'why do the not dredge the river and use that to sve the banks. A wider and deeper river = less floods I would think.

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voiceoreason says...
11:03am Wed 4 Feb 09

Soothsayer0.1 wrote:
Yawn.

"Andrew Waller said a failure to monitor the Ouse’s banks during the 1980s had now left City of York Council with a big bill."

Anyone's fault but the Lib Dums' YET AGAIN...
Classic Soothsayer. Erosion is now something that has only happened in the last 6 years and as a result of a ruling council. What next Lib Dems guilty of assainating Arch Duke Ferdinand? Lib Dems launch first slave ships. Lib Dems in Dinosaur extinction scandal. I can see it now,

Soothsayer0.1 wrote

""Cllr Waller stated that the loss of dinosaurs had started prior to the Lib Dems taking control of the council and as such could not be seen as the fault of the current administration""

Anyone's fault but the Lib Dums' YET AGAIN ...

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Soothsayer0.1 says...
11:13am Wed 4 Feb 09

I didn't say the erosion was their fault.

I pointed out that they have done nothing about it for six years and now say its the previous council's fault.

Classic Lib Dums really...

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Lib Dems are a joke says...
11:45am Wed 4 Feb 09

Andrew Waller points out that if a regular survey had of been carried out before Lib Dums came in, it would have been OK. Well why havent Lib Dums carried out the same survey over the last 6 years? Because they are incompetent and lazy.

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bri says...
1:41pm Wed 4 Feb 09

YEARS of neglect are to blame for the state of York’s crumbling riverbanks, the city’s leader has said. No Mr Waller it is an ongoing problem called erosion,I notice it has not been top of your priority list before and after you took leadership either.

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pedalling paul says...
1:49pm Wed 4 Feb 09

Does the changes of responsibilty between different Govt. quangos have a bearing. We once had a National Rivers Agency then an Environment agency. I'm not altogether sure that this is a Local Authority responsibility.
The erosion may go back years to when York last had a Tory-led Council. Anyone like to blame them for a change...!

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the andrew says...
3:17pm Wed 4 Feb 09

Council employees are cutting back tree branches, overgrown bushes on the riverbank year on year so why did'nt a supervisor report the erosion or if he did why did nobody act on his report.

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the butler says...
7:08am Thu 5 Feb 09

Comparing old photographs of the river, to those taken this year, Surely would show the amount of erosion? then it may give some impetus to council to bring the banks up to a safe standard.

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