'Don't ignore our flooding problems' (From Gazette & Herald)

'Don't ignore our flooding problems'

A TOP-level group is to be set up to help resolve flooding problems in the Kirby Mills and Keldholme areas of Kirkbymoorside, following a face-to-face meeting between worried residents and bosses of the Environment Agency (EA), Yorkshire Water (YW), North Yorkshire County Council's (NYCC) highways department and Ryedale District Council (RDC).

One of the leading campaigners for action, Brian Hughes, said: "We need to get all the authorities working together. There is a lack of co-ordination of action in the preventative stage to stop flooding of our homes."

He said current plans for the area were only "palliative" and would not tackle the real problem of flooding. It was nearly four years since the Keldholme and Kirby Mills areas were flooded, but little had been done since then, he claimed. "We seem to be falling between organisational cracks," he said.

He understood there was no likelihood of warning systems being funded at Kirby Mills and added: "We need to get the EA and YW working together."

Town mayor Coun Nigel Richardson, who instigated the meeting, held at Kirkbymoorside Recreation Club and attended by some 50 householders, said: "We want to find out if there is anything we can do to alleviate the pain for the people living in Keldholme and Kirby Mills."

He suggested the setting up of a river watch group in the short term. He said Kirkbymoorside needed to fight for a flood defence scheme. Malton and Norton had been successful, and Pickering was campaigning. "People can't keep having their homes flooded. We must keep pestering the agencies and they must keep in touch with us."

Andrew Jackson, catchment manager for Yorkshire Water, said work was due to be carried out shortly on two sewage overflows at Kirby Mills. He said YW had a five-year spending programme. Money was already allocated for screens to be put in place.

He added that a mathematical model was being used, at a cost of between £50,000 and £60,000, which would help to calculate problems and solve them.

There was a problem, said Mr Jackson, at the Corn Mill. "The model will help us look at the rest of the catchment area to see what we can do."

He said that two overflows may be combined as one as an answer to the flooding problems.

The meeting was told that the EA was not funded to deal with river water difficulties which would have to be funded through the Flood Defence Committee.

Local resident Miles Lea said water pumped out of the drains in Kirkbymoorside was being put down the Mill Race and River Dove. "The water goes grey and starts to smell even in summer - it is obviously a release of sewage."

He added that water from the moors was being released into the system, aggravated by field drainage. "There's no wonder we are getting flooded. Water is pouring off the farmland, it's not right. The rain water run-off is not able to soak away and is being diverted into the River Dove."

He said that some householders were now having to pay £1,600 for insurance cover for their properties because of previous flooding incidents.

Peter Renshaw, district surveyor and engineer for NYCC, said the authority had £70,000 earmarked for spending in the Kirby Mills area to replace under-size pipes. The work is due to be completed by next March, he added.

Coun David Cussons, who represents the Kirkbymoorside area on Ryedale District Council, said the Mill Race was due to be taken over by the Environment Agency. He believed the flooding problems started in the vicinity of Keldholme Bridge. "The river there gets narrower each year. It is backing up, and the flow is slowing down. It needs clearing out."

Coun Cussons believed a clear-out of the River Dove had not taken place for some 40 years, adding that the flow was being slowed down because of rubbish and trees.

David Summers, property manager of RDC, said owners of water courses had a responsibility to keep them clean. "We need people to report obstructions to us."

Matt Smith, operations manager for the EA, said maintenance work was carried out along the main river channels, including weed and tree-cutting. "We rely on the public telling us about such things as trees coming down."

Several residents called for earth-moving equipment to be used to remove silt from the river beds to improve water flows.

The meeting agreed steps should be taken to set up a group to work with the agencies to bring about action to help combat future flooding and Coun Richardson said he would be taking the matter back to the town council.

Updated: 11:52 Wednesday, May 26, 2004