Work starts on £11m flood defence scheme

Work is due to start on the next phase of the £11m Hessle Foreshore Tidal Defence Scheme.

The East Riding of Yorkshire Council project will include a 465-metre long, 1m-high glass and concrete wall along Cliff Road, Hessle, to help shield the area from flooding caused by tidal surges along the Humber.

Preparation began last week with construction to start later this month. The work should continue until late spring next year.

When completed, the structure will reduce the risk of flooding to more than 4,000 homes and businesses in the Hessle and West Hull areas.

The project will also reduce the risk of flooding to the A63, a major trunk road in and out of Hull, the main Hull railway line, electrical substations, and water and sewerage facilities.

The work is being funded with grants from the Environment Agency, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Humber Local Enterprise Partnership’s Local Growth Fund Programme.

Dave Waudby, head of infrastructure and facilities at East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said: “The construction will cause some traffic delays along Cliff Road and parking along the foreshore will be restricted throughout the scheme, so we would urge people to avoid the area as much as possible.

“With the lockdown and social distancing in place this shouldn’t cause too much of an issue just at the moment, but we’d like to thank people for their patience while this work is carried out.”

Construction of the first section of the scheme began in January with the building of a 600m long, one metre-high concrete barrier along the westbound stretch of the A63 Clive Sullivan Way, which is being carried out by Highways England.

The next stages will be carried out by council contractor Interserve Construction and will include:

• The construction of a one-metre-high glass and concrete wall along the southern side of Cliff Road, Hessle. The wall will include flood gates at various points which can be closed during a tidal surge event.
• The raising of the road underneath the Humber Bridge to tie in with the concrete barrier as it passes under the bridge.

A further stage will be a series of improvements to the sluice structure on the Fleet Drain at Hessle Clough, which includes raising the existing wall by one meter to lessen the risk of over-topping during a tidal surge.

This will be carried out by another council contractor, ESH Construction, and works will begin later in May.

Councillor Chris Matthews, portfolio holder for strategic management at East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said: “I am extremely pleased work is starting on this major tidal defence project.

“When the whole scheme is complete it will help to minimise the risk of flooding to thousands of properties in Hessle and west Hull, which have suffered the effects of tidal surges before, the last one being in 2013.”

Dean Hamblin, Environment Agency senior flood risk advisor for the East Riding, said: “This work on Hessle Foreshore is a key flood risk management scheme and links with the Environment Agency’s £42m Humber Hull Frontage scheme to the East.

“Together they will help reduce the risk of flooding to more than 100,000 properties in the city and form part of a wider £200m investment in flood defence work across the East Riding of Yorkshire and Hull.”

Stephen Parnaby, chairman of the Humber LEP, said: “We are proud to support this key flood risk management scheme with an allocation of £2m from the Local Growth Fund.

“As illustrated by past events, this area is at risk from tidal surges and the LEP are pleased to see work begin on the next stage of protecting both businesses and residents in the Hessle area.”