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03
Dec
Bid to find natural solutions to climate change in Harrogate and Knaresborough
Measures to protect Harrogate and Knaresborough from the worst effects of flood and drought could receive a boost if an application for £50,000 of funding is successful.
North Yorkshire Council has applied for an Environment Agency grant to support a new collaborative Rivers, Rains and Roots project in the two towns.
The aim of the initiative, which has been instigated by the Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust and is also understood to include Yorkshire Water, is to help fund a variety of “nature-based solutions” to mitigate climate-related water challenges in the area.
A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Council told us:
This is hoped to be achieved through various nature-based solutions, including sustainable drainage systems, rain gardens, green roofs, living walls, ponds, swales and creating woodland.
This initial feasibility aspect is being led by North Yorkshire Council. Further details including the project’s governance and membership will be finalised in the coming months.
Extreme weather events have become increasingly common in recent years.
In 2024, Knaresborough suffered what a North Yorkshire Council report later called a "one in 516 year event", when flash flooding affected more than 50 properties, forcing their evacuation by residents, some of whom were unable to return for several months.
More recently, prolonged dry weather this year led to record low levels of water in local reservoirs and a hosepipe ban that has yet to be lifted.
The £50,000 grant – which would come from a new Environment Agency grant-in-aid fund for 2026/27 – would contribute towards the project’s feasibility study. This would establish the amount of surface water that needs to be stored within the sustainable drainage systems across Harrogate and Knaresborough, to reduce flood risk and improve water quality.
The council should find out if its bid has been successful in January 2026.
It is hoped that further funding may come from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, but according to the YDRT, no work is expected to be delivered before August next year.
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