THE Environment Agency has been urged to reconsider its options with the Pickering flood defence scheme and not look for ‘a Rolls Royce solution to a Ford problem’.

Criticism has been levelled at the agency for abandoning plans to build multiple small bunds in favour of a large one, bringing the structure under the scope of the Reservoir Act 1975.

As reported in the Gazette & Herald last week, the Environment Agency announced that the flood defence scheme was being put on hold after costs almost trebled from £1.2 million to £3.2 million to “ensure public safety”.

Work on a series of flood storage areas was due to start earlier this month. However the agency now says the requirements of the Reservoirs Act 1975, combined with the complex nature of the site, means the cost for the scheme will need to increase.

Stuart Harrison, of Pickering and District Civic Society, said the details of the fiasco that the Pickering Bunds project has descended into were now slowly emerging and the Environment Agency had made a big variation on the envisaged design.

“The Environment Agency, in conjunction with an independent reservoir engineer, seemed to think that within the guidelines it could build the bund without it being a requirement that it was a Class A structure.

“As the project progressed, it became the case that the engineers moved increasingly towards that classification and in May insisted that was the case. Apparently the main problem is that there are too many houses immediately downstream. Nine would be okay but 10 is one too many.”

Mr Harrison said it may be possible to review the guidelines to allow the building of larger bunds at a less stringent safety level than a reservoir.

He added: “The idea that the bund should have to withstand a 1-in-10,000 year flood event – or 235 cubic metres of water per second – is a ridiculous and deeply flawed idea.”

Mr Harrison said the Environment Agency must now review building smaller bunds.

Members of Pickering Town Council were told at their monthly meeting on Monday that the Environment Agency was determined to find a solution to the flood defence scheme.

Area manager Craig McGarvey told councillors and members of the public that they were looking at all previous options and how best it could spend the £1.35m still available for the project, which includes the £950,000 earmarked by Ryedale District Council.

Mr McGarvey said the EA was now “looking for guidance” from Defra on the decision making of categories of flood defence work.

He added that the Pickering scheme had been designated Category A because of the possible risk to people living at Newbridge in the event of it failing, which could result in loss of life.

“I am not surprised that people in Pickering are shocked and surprised by what has been decided,” added Mr McGarvey.

Coun William Oxley told the council: “There has to be a common sense answer to this because it is not just a Pickering problem, it is a national one.”

Coun Brian Baker added: “Are we coming up with a Rolls Royce solution to a Ford problem?”

MP Anne McIntosh in a letter to the council said she was lobbying Environment Secretary, Caroline Spelman, Minister Richard Benyon, and had met the chairman of the Environment Agency, Lord Chris Smith, pressing the importance of the Pickering scheme going ahead.

The council applauded her efforts and is to await the outcome of the meetings.