York flood defence details revealed (From York Press)

York flood defence details revealed

8:33am Saturday 4th August 2012 in News By Mike Laycock, Chief reporter

FULL details of a proposed upgrade of flood defences in York have emerged in a planning application submitted to City of York Council .

The £3.2 million Environment Agency scheme for the Leeman Road area includes the construction of a new flood wall along the crest of the Water End road embankment and a demountable flood defence barrier across the eastern entrance to Landing Lane from Water End.

The agency also wants to raise the existing earth flood defence embankment, build a new earth flood defence embankment extending from the Leeman Road embankment to Cinder Lane, and construct two flood walls and a ramp at Cinder Lane.

There would also be one main temporary construction compound, two satellite compounds, material storage areas and associated landscaping works.

A report from the agency to the council says an assessment has shown that 393 properties are at risk of flooding from the Ouse in a 1-in-200-year event.

It says the existing defences, created in the early 1980s after major flooding, were nearly overtopped in November 2000 and sandbags were used to prevent this. In the event of the defences being overtopped, there would be a one-metre found in the surrounding area, posing a significant risk to life, says the report.

It says the new defences would protect against a 1-in-200-year event and claims that the risk of flooding from the Ouse will increase throughout the 21st century.

“Climate change is anticipated to result in more frequent, short- duration, high-intensity rainfall and more frequent periods of long-duration rainfall of the type responsible for the floods in the autumn of 2000.”

The upgrade is set to be jointly funded with City of York Council, which has already committed £1 million towards the cost.

Construction work is due to begin later this year if planning permission is granted.