Funding secured for village's flood defence scheme

An aerial view of Bilton, with rows of houses surrounded by flooded fieldsImage source, Mark Ratford
Image caption,

The scheme will attempt to protect the village from flooding

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Plans have been announced for a new flood alleviation scheme in Bilton, near Hull.

It comes after East Riding of Yorkshire Council secured government funding to build a number of lagoons, embankments and watercourses around the village to help reduce the risk of flooding during heavy rain.

Work on the project, which will cost £13.7m, could begin in early 2027, subject to the necessary permissions and consents, the authority said.

The village has suffered from flooding in the past, including in 2007.

The project has been awarded £13m of funding from Defra, administered by the Environment Agency, along with £650,000 from the Yorkshire Regional Flood and Coastal Committee.

It will be carried out alongside Yorkshire Water, which is investing £4m on sustainable drainage systems in the village.

Paul West, the council's portfolio holder for environment and climate change, said: "The likelihood of flooding is only going to get worse, so working together with Yorkshire Water and our other... partners on this scheme and the others planned is more important than ever."

Emma Brown, from Yorkshire Water, said it was essential for organisations to work together to mitigate against climate change and "the threat of flooding we have in this part of the world".

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