Issue - meetings

This report contains an update on York’s 5 Year Flood Plan following new funding being allocated to the Environment Agency to renew existing and provide new flood defences across the City.

Resolved:

i.             That the updated report and the evidence presented by the Environment Agency in the session is noted and that feedback is provided.

ii.            That the progress of actions from the motion in Annex 2 is considered and endorsed, including the need to continue to work with all partners and use any opportunity to develop further studies and projects to better improve river quality and the usage of our rivers. Further updates will be brought to the Executive Member on this item.

Reason: To support the delivery of flood resilience interventions in York and across the wider River Ouse catchment.

The Executive Member considered a report which contained an update on York’s 5 Year Flood Plan following new funding being allocated to the Environment Agency to renew existing, and provide new, flood defences across the City. The Flood Risk Manager and Project Director, Environment Agency (EA) were in attendance to present the report and respond to questions.

Key points raised during the presentation of the report included:

·        The Council continues to progress with the DEFRA funded Innovation Programme exploring natural flood risk management solutions in the Swale, Ure and Nidd catchment areas and how such solutions can be incentivised and supported. They have also started to work with catchment partners and the recruitment of catchment partner posts have progressed.

·        The Council are developing proposals for a grant scheme for natural flood management measures for catchment partners.

·         The works at Germany Beck were progressing well, the delivery of the design is almost complete with planning application submission is expected late 2022 and the construction phase for the project is expected to commence in late 2023 if all planning and other permissions are granted.

·        Water quality and the performance of Yorkshire Water combined sewer overflows is monitored and the Council have formed close links with a University of York led 4-year long project looking at quality issues across the wider river catchments, which will help illustrate the current and future river quality issues in York.

Key updates from the EA included:

·        The EA achieved their target of better protecting over 2000 properties in York.

·        The control structure at the Foss Storage Area has been completed.

·        The Property Flood Resilience project is progressing with installations in progress over the next two weeks.

·        4000 floodplain meadow plants were planted in Rawcliffe Meadows.

·        The EA team is prepared for winter and flood measures have been successful so far.

The Flood Risk Manager concluded by raising the issue of flood forecast in York and its inconsistencies and explained that the Council are working on this with the EA.

The Executive Member commented that she was pleased that further work is going on with the forecasting and the general work completed by the EA. She also thanked the Council for its work and expressed disappointment with Yorkshire Water for not engaging with City of York Council.

Resolved:

i.             That the updated report and the evidence presented by the Environment Agency in the session is noted and that feedback is provided.

ii.            That the progress of actions from the motion in Annex 2 is considered and endorsed, including the need to continue to work with all partners and use any opportunity to develop further studies and projects to better improve river quality and the usage of our rivers. Further updates will be brought to the Executive Member on this item.

Reason: To support the delivery of flood resilience interventions in York and across the wider River Ouse catchment.