A self seeded tree on the banks of the Ouse near Lendal Bridge is causing concern.
As well as potentially destabilising the paved bank, (the tree seeded through a crack in the surfacing several years ago) there are concerns that the branches could cause a build up of rubbish during periods of flooding.
We have asked the Council to remove it.
NB. There is a major opportunity for additional tree planting between the Ouse and the railway line nearer to Leeman Road
Updated 1500hrs 8th Nov 2019
Flood alerts issued for River Ouse. Not expected to reach a warning level.
Just a reminder that a map indicating long term flooding vulnerability in the City can be found by clicking here.
It covers both surface water (drain capacity) issues and also the potential for rivers and streams to overflow.
There are currently no flood alerts in York although their are warnings in place in other parts of Yorkshire. These are likely to impact on travel arrangements,.
Real time water level gauges can be viewed by clicking here
The Friends of Rawcliffe Meadows (FRM) are objecting to a plan to raise and extend flood barriers on the river Ouse near Rawcliffe.
They say “FRM believe the Environmental Statement is fundamentally flawed and must be comprehensively revised to give an honest and comprehensive account of the likely destruction of and damage to SSSI grassland”.
They go on to say, “There will be adverse impacts on the Cornfield Nature Reserve which are of regional or at least district-wide significance”.
The comments are revealed in a report to next weeks planning committee which is being recommended to approve the Environment Agency proposals .
The report says, “The application is for works to repair and extend the Clifton Ings barrier bank. This is one of the projects within the agencies flood alleviation scheme (FAS) to reduce flood risk throughout the city. £45 million has been allocated to the EA which will upgrade defences in 19 areas (referred to as flood cells).
The objective of the FAS is to protect against the 1 in 100 year flood (1% AEP) plus climate change and where this cannot be achieved then deliver the maximum level of protection in each cell within the context of existing flood risk and considering other environmental, social and cultural aspects.
The purpose of the barrier bank is to reduce flooding from rivers (fluvial flooding) to the Clifton / Rawcliffe area.
However, during the floods in 2000, water from the river outflanked the flood defences, spilled onto Shipton Road and flooded over 100 homes. The flood basin at Blue Beck also exceeded its capacity in 2000. In these instances, the Environment Agency had to provide temporary pumps to reduce flooding upstream on Blue Beck.
The barrier bank was constructed in 1980. It is of earth fill construction and is up to 4.5m high. The embankments on both sides of the River Ouse currently have issues with stability created by high pressure in the banks when the reservoir empties. This has meant that the drawdown rate for the reservoir has had to be reduced from 1,360mm/day to 300mm/day in order to reduce the risk of failure. This reduction in the drawdown rate significantly impacts on the operation and effectiveness of the reservoir as a flood defence, particularly for any consecutive flood events.
Clifton Ings provides a flood storage reservoir on the eastern side of the River Ouse close to Rawcliffe Park and Ride and the sports clubs Clifton Alliance and York. When not flooded, the northern section of Clifton Ings is used for grazing and the southern section is used as open land by the public. A Sustrans cycle route runs through this area.
During high flow events it has a flood capacity of 2,300,000 m3. It is owned and maintained by the Environment Agency.
The Planning Committee is meeting on Thursday at 4:30pm. The meeting will also consider a separate proposal to create a temporary access route into the site.
Although surface water flooding is usually associated with winter conditions, issues can arise at this time of year.
We are likely to experience intense rainfall over the next few days.
This means that any blocked drainage channels and gullies will be tested. Residents would be wise to check any public gutters near their properties and report any blockages.
Another update on the work being undertaken to prevent flooding in the York area is being considered on 3rd December.
The report has been produced by the Environment Agency.
Details are also provided on the alleviation plans for the Clementhorpe part of the City.
Regular updates have been provided since the flooding in late December 2015 which followed an intense period of rainfall across November and December due to the impacts of Storms Desmond and Eva.
Record river levels were observed in many river catchments across the north of England. More than 4000 homes and 2000 businesses flooded across Yorkshire with 453 properties and 174 businesses flooded in York.
Funding has been allocated to the Environment Agency (EA) following the floods to renew existing and provide new flood defences across the city, £17m has been allocated to the Foss Barrier improvements and £45m to the wider flood defences across the city
Click to read full Clementhore update reprt
Click to read full report
Gale Lane blocked footway gully
The recent surface water flooding which we saw a few weeks ago is being addressed by the Council. In a report to be considered next week, they say that their Flood Risk Management Team is currently investigating the consequences of the 13th August 2018 storm which affected the city. More than 40mm of rain fell on the city in just over 15 minutes, Rainfall rates more than 120mm/hour were recorded.
The problems seemed to be exacerbated by blocked gullies. This was a problem on some roads where footpath gullies were obstructed.
A policy adopted by the then Labour controlled Council 5 years ago meant that gullies were cleaned only upon report. Due to this reactive cleanse policy in recent years, approximately 53% of drains have been found to be blocked upon attendance.
The Council says the revised gulley cleansing policy aims to proactively cleanse all gullies on the gritting network annually and all other assets are reactively cleansed following reports of issues. “There are more than 43,000 gullies in the CYC area and approximately half of these are on the gritting network”.
The Council has allocated funding, in the period up to 2020, which will allow the whole network to be surveyed, the development of an improved asset register and an effective proactive cleanse of each asset to be carried out. Over the whole programme, which started in 2015, the added investment will have ensured that in the region of 23,000 gullies were left in a free running state that were previously not draining effectively.
Additional gullies cleansed, and data recorded
| 2015/16 | 8,000 |
| 2016/17 | 15,074 |
| 2017/18 | 12,810 |
| 2018/19 | 2,468 (to date) |
However, more than 900 ‘non-runner’ assets have been identified where the gulley cleansing process could not ensure free drainage and significant engineering works (digging out) are required to improve them. None of the current defects were found to be in a location where property flooding could occur as a direct consequence of severe rainfall.
Separately the meeting will consider an update report from the Environment Agency on tacking river flooding issues across the City. The Agency is doing well in keeping residents briefed on the work that they are doing. They have now started a web site which builds on their communications plan tick here This complements the information “hub” that they established on Wellington Row.
Generally, the update says that work to improve flood defences is proceeding in line with the agreed timetable
The deluge that engulfed the City yesterday evening produced surface water flooding problems in many areas.
The Council says it is working hard to remedy problems. It asks residents to report issues to FRM@york.gov.uk or call the customer centre on 01904 551550.
These are couple that we reported yesterday.
Tudor Road
Gale Lane
The heavy rain in the City has subsided today but several rivers are still showing increasing levels. We recommend that residents check the river gauges regularly and in particular those located upstream of the City. There is still a lot of water to flow through.
Click here for the river gauge real time map
Click here for the latest flood alerts and flooding maps
Drivers faced another hazard yesterday as a large pothole developed on the A59 road works on the south bound side of Skip Bridge. The carriageway is single file, over the bridge, there at the moment. Some delays may be expected,.
Several Councillors including – Andrew Waller – toured their wards yesterday to identify areas where gullies might be blocked. Some surface water flooding was identified by Andrew in Osprey Close (run off from agricultural land), Westfield Place, Cornlands Road, St Stephens Rd., St Stephens Square and Gale Lane, Any blocked gullies have been reported for attention.
Cyclists will be hoping that the York Council’s announcement that £500,000 will be spent upgrading major cycle routs in the City will allow for work to be undertaken on the York – Selby path. In places, the popular leisure route has become very uneven following the ravages of winter.
River Ouse at Naburn today. Well within its banks
Snow melt has caused large ponds to form on low woodland
The cycle track is still scarred by graffiti and dumping. The Council no longer clears graffiti unless it is judged to be obscene.
