York Foss flood barrier work to be finished by January

Major improvement work to York's Foss flood barrier is nearing completion, the Environment Agency (EA) has said.

The barrier, which protects hundreds of properties, was previously overwhelmed during major flooding in 2015.

The EA said it expected contractors to hand over the site in January after improvement work costing £38m.

The agency said other work on new or improved flood defences identified in its five-year flood plan was also progressing well.

Chris Ashcroft, from the EA, said of the Foss Barrier work: "It's fantastic to see a significant piece of investment in the resilience of York city centre."

Heavy rainfall in December 2015 saw river levels in York rise, causing significant flooding

The barrier was originally built in the 1980s to reduce flood risk along the river Foss by preventing the river Ouse from backing up into it.

When water levels in the Ouse are higher than the Foss, the barrier is closed and water in the Foss is pumped around the barrier and downstream into the Ouse.

However, in 2015, the pumps were overwhelmed and the barrier had to be opened.

Work undertaken since has seen the EA install new infrastructure to support the pumps and new power supplies.

The pumping capacity has also been increased and a new, taller barrier gate has been installed.

The 2015 flooding saw people evacuated, roads closed, and the city's main telephone exchange inundated

A new flood alleviation scheme for York was also developed after the 2015 floods, with the government providing £45m in funding for work designed to improve protection for 2,000 homes within the city.

Councillor Paula Widdowson, City of York Council's executive member for environment and climate change, said she was pleased to see the schemes were progressing well and praised the teamwork between council officials and the EA, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"The way our teams are working together is fabulous and the step-change has really ratcheted up, even during the pandemic," she said.