Construction begins in flood protection scheme in York

Work has begun on a £45million flood protection scheme in York that will protect homes in the city centre.

The flood protection scheme will improve and increase the height of defences along North Street. The project is being completed with funding from the Environment Agency’s York Flood Alleviation Scheme in partnership with the City of York Council.

The scheme aims to provide better protection for 2,000 homes by 2021, and a site compound is already being created on Tanner Row. The floodgate under Lendal bridge is also being increased in height.

Project Manager Richard Lever from the Environment Agency said: “It is great news that we’re now on the ground working to better protect York, its residents and businesses from flooding.”

“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, finding a path through the War Memorial Gardens and the York City Rowing Club boathouse to flood properties on Rougier Street and Wellington Row, as well as cutting off Station Road.”

The work will include:

• 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 along Leeman Road from Westgate Apartments to a new embankment in the grounds of York City Rowing Club, with the incorporation of demountable barriers at access points.
• Raising of the wall and replacement/refurbishment of penstocks at the Park Inn/riverside walkway.

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