Plans approved for a new ‘aquagreen’ that will reduce flood damage in east Hull
An Environment Agency project to create a large ‘aquagreen’ that will reduce flood risk to over 870 properties and key infrastructure in east Hull has been given the go ahead.
Planning permission for the project at Castlehill has now been approved by Hull City Council and East Riding of Yorkshire Council and work is expected to start late spring.
A public consultation was launched in September 2020 on proposals for the ‘aquagreen’ – a versatile green space, south of the old Bransholme Dairy Farm, which will store excess water during a flood and then slowly release it back into the drainage system after the peak of the flood has passed.
Homes in North Carr and Sutton are currently at risk of flooding from water in the Holderness and Sutton Cross drains after heavy rain. The Holderness Drain is a man-made river channel. When it becomes full, water flows into Sutton Cross Drain, overwhelming the local drainage system and increasing the risk of flooding for homes in the area. This area narrowly avoided disaster in November 2019 when other parts of Hull were affected by flooding.
The ‘aquagreen’ is the second phase of the £28.5m Holderness Drain Flood Alleviation Scheme, and follows construction of the new East Hull Pumping Station.
The scheme has been made possible thanks to a close collaboration between a number of organisations: