10:56 - 13 November 2007
Paull: Action needs to be taken to prevent a repeat of
flooding in the village caused by torrential rain in June, according to a
new report.
The parish council commissioned the study to examine the causes of this
summer's floods and highlight any lessons to be learned.
One in 10 homes in Paull were hit by the summer floods and poor maintenance
of the village's drainage system was found to be one of the main causes,
apart from the sheer volume of water.
The report, Knee Deep In Paull, by construction engineer
Simon Taylor, will be presented to East Riding Council tomorrow.
A draft, which is likely to form the bulk of the main document, contains a
number of recommendations.
They include immediate cleaning and the reinstatement of drainage ditches
north of Turpit Lane, plus the creation of a new singular board to take
control of the drains.
The parish council should also develop its own flood response strategy and a
store of sandbags and other resources should be established in the village.
Mr Taylor said: "There are two problems and one is a total lack of
maintenance of the land drains.
"The other is there are lots of people responsible for maintaining the
drains and, as a result, no one authority is in charge and therefore there
are gaps in maintenance.
"In certain areas residents say the drain has not been cleaned for almost 20
years. It is severely constricted in places and so the water had nowhere to
go."
East Riding Council is in the process of gathering evidence and opinions on
the floods from groups and individuals as part of its Flood Review Panel.
Councillor Laurie Cross, chair of the panel, said: "The report from Paull
will form part of the details our own analyst will give some thought to."