Battling to beat floods

9:46am Thursday 26th June 2008

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A REPORT on the lessons to be learned from the summer floods of last year that hit parts of North Yorkshire has been welcomed by the MP for Thirsk and Malton.

Anne McIntosh, who is shadow minister for environment food and rural affairs, said she welcomed Sir Michael Pitt's final report highlighting the action needed to be better prepared for future floods.

Sir Michael's report contains 92 recommendations, which include that the Environment Agency (EA) should progressively take on a national overview of all flood risk, including surface water and groundwater flood risk, with immediate effect.

Miss McIntosh said: "The floods last summer were caused not just by rivers bursting their banks, but from surface water flooding - drains not being able to cope with the sheer volume of rain. Currently, there are over five bodies responsible for surface water drainage, and I welcome Sir Michael Pitt's conclusion that the Environment Agency should be a national overview of all flood risk, including surface water and groundwater flood risk, with immediate effect. But they can only discharge these responsibilities with proper resources."

The report also recommends that the Met Office should continue to improve its forecasting and predicting methods to a level which meets the needs of emergency responders.

It recommends there should be a presumption against building in high flood risk areas, including ensuring that developers make a full contribution to the costs both of building and maintaining any necessary defences.

Meanwhile, three flood victims yesterday took part in a protest in Pickering in a bid to secure flood defences for the town, which was hit by flooding last summer.

Topsy Clinch, Gordon Clitheroe and Kath Grayston set up a living room in the town's beck - and sat on a settee in the channel to highlight what it meant when water flowed through the home.

Howard Keal, spokesman for Pickering Flood Defence Group, said: "We hope that we gave people something to smile about as well as sending a very serious message about the need for flood defences to the Environment Agency, the Government and Sir Michael Pitt."

The EA is looking into whether upstream storage areas could be created in a bid to reduce the risk of flooding in Pickering.