Construction work to start on new section of York flood scheme
The Environment Agency has started construction work on a major section of its York Flood Alleviation Scheme this week.
A high River Ouse in York during the winter 2015 flooding, looking towards where the flood alleviation work will take place on the south bank
The work will see more than 500m of new flood defences installed in sections between Skeldergate Bridge and Millennium Bridge on the Rowntree Park side of the River Ouse.
It will include:
- new flood gates at the bottom of Clementhorpe
- construction of seven flood walls
- an embankment
- 240m of below ground seepage mitigation under Terry Avenue
- raising of the road at the bottom of Butcher Terrace
As part of the construction programme, Terry Avenue will be closed between its junction with Skeldergate and Roomzzz Hotel, for approximately 12 months, starting in April.
The first stage of the work will involve building the construction compound on the football pitch at the south end of Rowntree Park.
The project team say they aim to complete the work by the end of next year.
The total cost of the project is £7.7 million, funded by Defra as part of the York Flood Alleviation Scheme. City of York Council is contributing £317,000 to the scheme.
In total, the Environment Agency is investing £45 million in the York Flood Alleviation Scheme, to better protect 2,000 homes and businesses in the city from flooding.
Ben Hughes, of the Environment Agency, said:
The Clementhorpe section of our York Flood Alleviation Scheme is a once in a lifetime opportunity to reduce the risk of flooding to 135 homes.
We are very pleased that we’ve now received final approval from City of York Council to start construction on this section of the scheme.
This section of work is a very complex engineering project and there have been a number of hurdles we have had to overcome to bring it to fruition.
To join the mailing list to get regular updates on the York Flood Alleviation Scheme, email yorkfloodplan@environment-agency.gov.uk.
More information about York Flood Alleviation Scheme.
Information about the Environment Agency’s Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy for England.
Sign up to flood warnings.
Media contact: george.hinton@environment-agency.gov.uk