A major milestone has been reached as construction work gets underway on the Environment Agency’s York Flood Alleviation Scheme, in partnership with City of York Council.
Construction work raising and improving this section of the flood defence scheme in the North Street area of the city will also see the floodgate under Lendal Bridge increased in height.
The work forms part of the £45 million York Flood Alleviation Scheme which will better protect 2,000 properties across the city by 2021.
Project manager Richard Lever, of the Environment Agency, said:
“The flood wall along North Street has previously come close to overtopping and needs increasing in height to cope with rising flood heights and the effects of climate change. In both 2000 and 2015 the river levels were close to the top of the wall so sandbags were used to increase the defence height.”
“If we don’t carry out this work there is also a risk that flood water might flow round the end of the existing defences.”
Cllr Andrew Waller, Executive Member for Economy and Strategic Planning, said:
“City of York Council is working closely with the Environment Agency on these schemes. Protecting people’s homes and businesses is an absolute priority so we can defend the city in the future.”
The work will consist of:
- Raising the existing floodwall along North Street by up to 30cm and installing new flood gates, and increasing the width of the gate nearest Lendal Bridge to 2.5m to improve access
- Increasing the height of the Lendal Bridge floodgate by 30cm with an additional 15cm demountable panel for extreme events.
- Enabling demountable flood barriers to be used across the main and second entrance to the Memorial Gardens.
- Constructing a new flood wall up to 70cm high with the incorporation of demountable barriers at access points.
- Raising walls and replacement/refurbishment of penstocks
The Environment Agency will continue working with City of York Council between now and 2021 to carry out a major programme of flood defence upgrades within the city. Initial ideas were identified within the York 5 Year Plan, published in November 2016.
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