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23
Sept
Homes in Harrogate and Knaresborough set for anti-flood boost
North Yorkshire Council has approved submitting a bid for nearly £1.5 million to help homes in Harrogate and Knaresborough which are at risk of flooding.
A report before the council’s environment executive today (September 23) recommended bidding for two rounds of funding from the Environment Agency to deliver a flood resilience scheme to 130 properties.
It would see various measures, such as non-return valves and flood resilient doors, installed to reduce the risk of floodwater entering.
It comes after 51 homes and four businesses in Knaresborough were affected by flash floods on May 6, 2024, which led to some people being forced to find emergency accommodation.
An intense storm hit the town which saw 54mm of rain fall within 35 minutes.
The view over High Bridge outside Mother Shipton's during the flooding in Knaresborough.
In her report, Patricia Gourley, flood risk management project manager at the council, said analysis of the flooding demonstrated “a strong correlation with areas identified as being at medium and high risk of surface water flooding”.
She added:
The spatial distribution of reported flooding aligns closely with the predicted overland flow paths and ponding areas identified through the Risk of Flooding Surface Water dataset, indicating that the locations affected were broadly consistent with existing flood risk modelling.
This suggests that the flooding resulted primarily from the exceptional volume and intensity of rainfall, which exceeded the capacity of local drainage systems and generated significant surface water runoff across the catchment.
As a result, Ms Gourley said it had been agreed to extend the property flood resilience scheme in the area, as well as to properties in Harrogate that have “experienced flooding and continue to be at risk from flooding”.
The move will see the council bid for £824,200 from the Environment Agency’s Grant in Aid and £650,000 from the Flood and Coastal Committee Local Levy to extend the scheme.
Meanwhile, the council will contribute £250,000 towards the scheme.
Flooding in Knaresborough in May 2024. Photo: Mark Robinson/LDRS.
The project will be delivered to 130 properties during 2028/29, according to the report.
Questions over drains
The council published an investigation into the flooding in Knaresborough in September last year.
The sheer volume of rainfall and its impact on the community prompted questions about whether better maintained drains would have helped. But the council said the flooding was "not related to condition of drains".
The investigation found that any changes to Knaresborough’s drainage system so that it has sufficient capacity to cope with storms such as that in May 2024 would require changes in national policy and legislation.
it added that it would also require “huge levels of investment” and “major on-going disruption” while the work was undertaken.
Instead, the report made a series of recommendations, which included the extension of the flood resilience scheme subject to funding.
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