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21
Mar
Fears £10,000 grant not enough to prevent more flooding in Knaresborough
A move to install sustainable drainage systems in Harrogate and Knaresborough will not be enough to tackle flooding, local councillors have said.
The Environment Agency announced this week that it had granted £10,000 for drainage measures in the area as part of a wider £830 million for flood defence schemes in the forthcoming year.
Sustainable drainage systems are used to manage surface water flooding and can include rain gardens and retention ponds.
The Environment Agency funding is expected to go towards a council study to look at retrofitting the drainage systems in collaboration with Yorkshire Water and Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust.
North Yorkshire Council, which is the flood authority, is set to lead on the project.
An example of a retention pond. Picture: The Flood Hub.
However, local councillors have said more needs to be done to tackle flooding, particularly in Knaresborough.
The town was hit by flash flooding in May 2024, which forced some residents to evacuate their homes and prompted questions about whether better maintained drains would have helped to tackle the flooding.
Cllr Hannah Gostlow, who represents Knaresborough East on North Yorkshire Council, said while the Environment Agency funding was welcomed, it was “not simple” in Knaresborough to tackle flooding.
She said:
Any funding is welcomed to support our community and seek to reduce flooding, however it is not simple in Knaresborough because we are not just at risk from the river flooding but also surface water flooding - far away from the Nidd.
What would stop this situation getting worse would be far better planning rules to address surface water run off and the impact of heavy rain in our changing climate. There is also so much that could be done in nature restoration to alleviate the pressures on our rivers and communities.
Meanwhile, Cllr Matt Walker, who represents Knaresborough West, said the funding “doesn’t seem very much”.
It comes as a council report into the flash flooding in Knaresborough in May 2024 is due to be considered by Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee on March 26.
In the report, the authority said it was looking to work with community groups to implement the sustainable drainage scheme.
It added:
There is a strong desire to work with local community groups and embrace social action to create new rain gardens and sustainable drainage systems across Harrogate and Knaresborough to reduce flood risk and improve water quality.
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