Work on flood prevention scheme to begin

The first project in an £11m flood alleviation scheme will start in East Yorkshire later this month, the council has said.

A project to improve surface water drainage, costing £2.5m, on Draper's Lane, Hedon, will start on 13 July, East Riding of Yorkshire Council (ERYC) said.

The authority also confirmed it had committed to schemes in Preston, Thorngumbald and Burton Pidsea over the next 18 months.

Dean Hamblin, flood and coastal risk management senior advisor at the Environment Agency, said: "Schemes like this are vital to help reduce the risk of flooding and limit the wider disruption and impacts that flooding can cause."

A further £3.4m has been earmarked for a project in Preston, along with £3.1m in Thorngumbald, and a further £2.1m in Burton Pidsea.

The future schemes, which are subject to securing planning permission and consents, would aim to reduce the risk of flooding to about 400 homes and businesses, ERYC said.

Work will include constructing embankments, floodwalls, new watercourses and sustainable drainage measures to divert flood water during heavy rainfall.

The first phase of the Hedon scheme on Westlands Drain will take about four weeks to complete, with the second stage awaiting planning permission, the council said.

The Hedon flood alleviation scheme has been funded by about £2.4m from Defra, administered by the Environment Agency.

A contribution of £132,000 has also come from the Department for Education and £22,000 from ERYC.

Councillor Paul West, the council's cabinet member for environment and transport, said: "I'm pleased to see the start of construction on this latest initiative in Hedon specifically designed to help protect dozens of households and businesses in the area from the misery of flooding."

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