A PIONEERING scheme to combat flooding in Pickering has been given the go-ahead by the North York Moors National Park’s planning committee.

The town was hit by severe floods four times in eight years, causing damage to homes and business costing millions of pounds and prompting demands for action to prevent future floods.

Now the Environment Agency (EA) has won approval for a project which will see two embankments built, together with a reinforced concrete control structure and the realignment of Pickering Beck.

Park authority officers said in a report to the planning committee: “Pickering has a long history of flooding,” adding that there were four major incidents between 1999 and 2007.

“The nature of the flood is exacerbated by the steep nature of the catchment area for Pickering Beck leading to flash summer floods.

“The EA also believes that previous land management practices, including forestry, open moorland drainage, over stock and over-grazing by liveststock and poor water run-off management, have increased the flood risk to Pickering.

The new scheme includes the building of earth mounds and creating wood debris dams, tree planting and farm management action to restrict the flow of flood water from the moors into Pickering Beck.

The North Yorkshire Moors Railway objected to the scheme, saying there has been no agreement between it and the EA on the use of the railway infrastructure.

However, Dean Hamblin, of the EA, said: “We will satisfy the railway’s concerns and resolve their objections.”

Support was given by Pickering Town Council, The Ramblers’ Association and Natural England, the Government’s conservation agency.

In their report, park authority officers said: “It is acknowledged that the scheme will have a modest impact on the landscape on this part of the park, and some residents during construction. However, it is considered that the benefits far outweigh the harm.”

Anne McIntosh, MP for Ryedale and chairman of a Defra committee which deals with flooding, has been a key campaigner for action to create flood alleviation measures at Pickering.

She welcomed the scheme as a pioneering venture which, if successful, could be replicated in other flood hit areas in the country.

Howard Keal, a leading campaigners for flood defences for Pickering, said: “We have seen a long succession of disappointments and delays in bringing the scheme forward.

“Every time up to now when it has looked like progress is being made, it has been snatched away. I now hope that minds will be concentrated to finally make the project a reality.

“The earth mounds will only protect some of the vulnerable properties against some floods, but that is a vast improvement on the current situation.”