A BLOCKED sewer and narrow pipes were behind the flash flooding that hit a key city centre road last month, a councillor has been told.

Cllr Andrew Waller, executive member for the environment, was given an update on flood defence plans in York this week, including the flash flooding that happened on Wednesday, August 23.

Steve Wragg, City of York Council’s flood risk manager, said Yorkshire Water had reported the water covering Fishergate was caused partly by a blockage in a main sewer, and partly by the fact old pipes beneath the road get narrower in that area. He said Yorkshire Water was looking at ways to make the pipes work more effectively.

On August 23, York was hit by 30mm of rain in just one hour. Fishergate flooded but Mr Wragg said recent investments in gulley cleaning and maintenance stopped other parts of the city suffering the same fate.

Yorkshire Water has since confirmed that a blocked drain was partly to blame.

Gary Collins, the company’s flood and coastal risk manager, said: “Blockages in our sewer network are a big issue for us and we spend approximately £2 million every year removing things from our sewers that shouldn’t be there. It causes lots of problems, such as contributing to the recent flash flood event on Fishergate, and restricts the flow in our sewers.

“Items such as so called ‘flushable’ wet wipes, sanitary items and leftover cooking fat should not be put into our sewer network.”

Cllr Waller added: “I want to thank council officers for their speedy response.”

The same meeting saw Cllr Waller push for answers over Clementhorpe flood defences.

He said people in the area were frustrated to see the second anniversary of the Boxing Day floods approaching, with no action taken to better defend their streets and homes.

Ben Hughes, of the Environment Agency (EA), said work was being done on proposals, but it was necessary to make sure the situation wouldn't be made worse, or the problem shifted elsewhere.

He explained that the earlier 'aqua barrier' had been removed because of fears it could fail and cause a rapid flood of water into homes, more damaging than slowly rising waters.

Consultants are working on outline plans for Clementhorpe, he said, which should be with the EA by the end of January.

Detailed plans would then follow, and work should be done on new defences next year.He also said new flood defences in some areas would take seven to 10 years, but York’s were being progressed in five years.