Archive - Wednesday, 15 January 2003


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Flooding at an alarming rate

RE: front page Gazette & Herald, dated December 30. As I read the article regards Welham Road, the new pumping station and £6.3 million water-tight flood defences, I thought I would write to tell you a little of what the residents of this area have had to witness over the New Year.

After months of upheaval and disruption, noise and dirt associated with having Interserve on your doorstep, working sometimes 24 hours a day, seven days a week, usually for the benefit of every area except ours, and just waiting to be complete adjacent to our properties, it was the relief, 'albeit scepticism' that greeted the press reports of watertight, 'if incomplete' flood defences.

So how do you think we felt when scepticism was replaced by reality and water began to seep through as the Derwent levels rose. Very soon it was up to Kings Mill flats, granted Interserve appeared hurriedly on the scene, pumps installed, and rushing around placing strategic bags of sand. Thus the water seemed to be contained. Then on New Year's Day what did we find? Floodwater rising again, and moving up Kings Mill yard at an alarming rate. This rising water prompting one neighbour to contact the local police. Interserve returned again deploying more pumps. But the most worrying aspect of all was the fact that the Derwent was lower than when this area began to flood during the last two floods.

So Welham Road seems to me to be pretty well protected by the new pumping station on Norton Road. I only wish I could say the same of Sheepfoot Hill.

MR J H WARD

Malton

Updated: 11:21 Wednesday, January 15, 2003