Work on new £750k flood defences for Ryther and Cawood almost complete

Tuesday 24th November 2009

HUNDREDS of homes are now protected from flooding as £750,000 of flood defence work comes to an end.

The Environment Agency has spent the money to protect 450 homes in Ryther and Cawood after routine inspections revealed repairs were needed in the previous defences.

Work on the defences began in July and is now virtually complete.

The £750,000 scheme included the removal of existing concrete flood walls at Ryther and Cawood and their replacement with brick walls strengthened internally with ten-metre long steel sheet piles, driven into the ground to below the level of the riverbed.

The defences, which were originally constructed in the 1980s, reduce the flood risk to a total of 450 homes in the two villages. About one third of the wall’s total length – 120m in Ryther and 25m in Cawood – have been replaced.

Environment Agency project manager Adrian Millward said: “Repairs to Ryther and Cawood’s flood defences should help to protect the villages for many decades to come. Work did necessitate road closures and traffic diversions and we thank villagers for their patience.” In Ryther, work focused on the flood wall opposite the junction with Mill Lane, where a seating area and space for a village notice board has been built into the design. The site has been landscaped, including tree planting, since construction work was completed.

At Cawood, Environment Agency contractors have been carrying out repairs near the church, downstream of the swing bridge.

Brick cladding of the walls is nearing completion, after which landscaping will finish off the project.

The flood defences have never failed the village in the past although Cawood parish councillor Joan Hicks said they were breached during the 2000 floods towards the Wistow end.

She thought the village was last flooded in 1978, but since then homes have remained water-free.

She said: “They have been improving the flood defences over a number of years and we feel quite confident the Environment Agency are looking after our interests.”