North Yorkshire flood defences scheme finished

Pickering was hit by major flooding in 2007

A £2m project to reduce the risk of flooding in a North Yorkshire town has been completed.

Pickering has been flooded four times over the last 10 years.

The scheme includes a water storage area on a river upstream from the town, as well as tree planting and improved land management to slow the speed of rainwater coming off the surrounding moors.

Locals campaigned for the defences after a major flood in 2007.

Initial plans to build concrete flood walls in the town were rejected by the government in 2011 for being too costly.

The new scheme has been funded by Defra, local councils, the Environment Agency and other organisations who are involved in the Slowing the Flow Partnership.

'Spilled out'

Slowing the Flow Partnership chairman Jeremy Walker said the revised scheme relies on "re-engaging" Pickering Beck river with the surrounding flood plain.

"The river had disconnected itself from the flood plain by digging down and eroding its channel further and further down, " he said.

"So as whereas hundreds, thousands of years ago when there was too much water in the river it would have spilled out onto the flood plain here, it didn't.

"It just kept on going and spilled out on Pickering instead."

The flood of 2007 left 85 properties and the main A170 under water, causing around £7m of damage.

Mr Walker said the work would not prevent the most severe flooding, but would greatly reduce the frequency of floods in the town.

"Pickering historically has had about a one in four chance of flooding in any one year," he said.

"This structure [water storage area] combined with the other measures, and you have to see the whole thing as a package, changed that to at least a one in 25 chance."