The flood alleviation scheme, which is expected to be completed in 2020, will involve the construction of a reinforced concrete flood wall, 303 metres long with an average height of 0.95m, to the east side of the town on Church Street, to improve the standard of flood protection for 54 residential and eight commercial properties.
The area has a long history of tidal flooding dating back to the 1800s. Most recently, the Church Street flooding in December 2013’s storm surge caused many properties and the highway to be affected, which caused major disruption.
To combat these , Esh has been tasked with creating a wall will run adjacent to the public footpath from Parkol Marine to Church Street car park. This will be constructed comply with Defra’s and the Environment Agency’s best practice on coastal flood management.
Ed Hinton, Coastal Flood Risk Advisor at the Environment Agency, said: “We are really pleased to see construction work on the Church Street flood alleviation scheme get under way. Not only does the scheme better protect 62 properties from tidal flooding, it also better defends a major road in and out of the town, helping keep the town open for business in times of high tides.
This scheme, in conjunction with the ongoing £9 million investment to upgrade the piers, will help to better protect people and properties into the future, which will include helping to mitigate the effects of future sea level rise.”
Steve Conn, Divisional Director of Esh Civils, added: “This area has been hugely affected by adverse weather and flooding for many years, so it’s crucial that this work is carried out. The scheme will provide safety to local businesses and members of the public and will ensure a brighter future for the region.”
The Government’s Local Growth Fund, administered by the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership as part of the Northern Powerhouse, contributed £1.1million to the project, with a Defra Coast and Flood Protection Grant in Aid of £672,000 also being granted by the Environment Agency.
Other contributions towards the overall cost includes £246,000 from the Yorkshire Regional Flood and Coastal Committee’s Local Levy, £61,000 from Scarborough Borough Council and £15,000 from North Yorkshire County Council.
This new flood wall is timely work when we are seeing an increasing frequency of tidal breaches and I am really pleased at how Scarborough Borough Council, Environment Agency and Local Enterprise Partnership have worked very well together over a number of years to get the scheme started.”
