Flood risk strategy

What is the role of the Flood Risk Strategy team?

The team directs and coordinates the ways in which the council reduces and manages the risk of flooding within the East Riding, working with organisations such as the Environment Agency, Internal Drainage Boards and local water companies.

The team's primary responsibilities are to prepare and monitor the Local Flood Risk Management Strategy, build and maintain the Flood Risk Asset Register and manage the council's programme of flood and coastal erosion risk management work.

What are the flood risk management strategies for the East Riding?

The East Riding of Yorkshire Council as an authority responsible for managing the risk of flooding. It is working with a number of partners to develop plans and strategies to achieve this.

Investment in Humber Estuary Flood Defences

With the support of elected members, local MPs and major businesses, the Humber Local Authorities along with the Humber Local Enterprise Partnership have submitted a proposal to Central Government seeking a commitment for a single settlement of £1.28bn required to improve estuary-wide flood defences along the Humber Estuary.

You can read two documents that support the proposal below:

Flood Defences Cost Money, No Defences Cost More: An economic case for the Humber and United Kingdom (pdf 3mb)

The Humber Estuary Flood Risk Management Strategy: Summary strategy and business case (pdf 2mb)

This request for funding was considered by Central Government and a response was received in October 2015. Whilst the bid was unsuccessful, Defra proposed Humber local authorities and the Humber Local Enterprise Partnership work with the Environment Agency to form a comprehensive review and update to the adopted Humber Flood Risk Management Strategy. This process is underway and updates will be here published as they are available.

Environment Agency August 2019 Humber Strategy newsletter (pdf 829kb)

Further information on this partnership including future consultations is available on the Environment Agency's website:

Environment Agency (external website)

Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)

We are required by the EU directive 2001/42/EC on Strategic Environmental Assessment to undertake a Strategic Environmental Assessment on the effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment. The SEA's revised recommendations (and those of the HRA) were incorporated into the final RHICS document (above).

Strategic Environmental Assessment (pdf 5.1mb)

Strategic Environmental Assessment appendices (pdf 435kb)

Flood Extent maps (pdf 3.9mb)

Cultural Heritage maps (pdf 5.2mb)

Habitat Regulations Assessment (HRA)

We are required by the Habitats Directive 92/42/EE as set out in the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations (as amended) to undertake a Habitat Regulations Assessment of plans and projects which are likely to have a significant effect on one or more sites that are subject to European designations for their wildlife value, either individually or in combination with other plans or projects.

Because the SEA concluded that there was the potential for significant harm to European designated sites, we have undertaken an HRA:

Habitats Regulations Assessment (pdf 535kb)

The HRA also has a number of appendices, including citations (the key features of the sites) from the Joint Nature Conservation Committee and Natural England. These and further environmental documents are available on request.

Local Flood Risk Management Strategy

We are also responsible for preparing a Local Flood Risk Management Strategy (LFRMS) which sets out how we can manage the risk of flooding from 'local' sources. Alongside the LFRMS we have produced a Flood Risk Management Plan for Kingston Upon Hull and Haltemprice catchment (within the East Riding of Yorkshire) which is one of 10 national Flood Risk Areas designated by Defra.

More information on both of these documents is available on the Local Flood Risk Management Strategy page.

River Hull Integrated Catchment Strategy (RHICS)

Over the last two years, East Riding of Yorkshire Council and Hull City Council have worked in partnership with:

• the Environment Agency (EA)
• Beverley and North Holderness Internal Drainage Board (BNHIDB), and
• Yorkshire Water (YW).

to plan how to improve drainage and manage the risk of flooding in the River Hull valley.

The Strategy was adopted by the River Hull Advisory Board on 10 July 2015.

East Riding of Yorkshire Council and Hull City Council formally adopted the Strategy on 7 July 2015 and 22 June 2015 respectively. EA, BNHIDB and YW also agreed to the Strategy through their relevant approval process in July 2015.

A draft strategy which provided a detailed justification for the approach that partners took when developing the project was also consulted on. The final version incorporated comments received upon it and comments on and recommendations from the Strategic Environmental Assessment and the Habitats Regulations Assessment (below):

River Hull Integrated Catchment Strategy (RHICS) Report (pdf 6.7mb)

Please note: we are working to make all of our flood risk management plans and strategies available online.

What information about flood risk is available for my area?

We have produced a Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment that gives an overview of flood risk across the East Riding and highlights where there is a significant risk of flooding from surface water (flooding caused by heavy or prolonged rainfall).

There is also a Strategic Flood Risk Assessment for land use planning purposes that contains detailed flood risk maps and advice about what types of land uses may not be suitable in certain locations due to flood risk and where flood risk mitigation measures may be needed to make a development safe.

The Environment Agency publishes flood risk maps showing areas at risk of flooding from rivers and the sea and also from surface water:

Environment Agency - flood risk maps (external website)

What is the Flood Risk Asset Register for the East Riding?

As the lead local flood authority, we are required to report on features or structures that, in our judgment, significantly affect flood risk. These can be items such as walls, bridges, screens, pipes and culverts but may also include structures such as cuttings and earthworks. We report on the condition and ownership of these assets in a public register, the Flood Risk Asset Register (FRAR).

The FRAR is a living database of council and partner risk management authorities flood and coastal risk asset information. We are developing an online mapping tool to present parts of this information on our website. For information on the FRAR contact the team at:

Email: floods@eastriding.gov.uk

What flood alleviation schemes are being undertaken in my area?

We have one of the largest flood and coastal risk management capital programmes of any local authority in England. Schemes range from minor culvert improvements to some of the most complex surface water flood alleviation schemes in the country.

For further information about our flood and coastal risk projects contact:

Email: floods@eastriding.gov.uk

Small to Medium-sized Flood Alleviation Works

We have completed more than one hundred minor flood and drainage projects since 2007. A map and details of these works delivered by the council is available:

List of Small to Medium-sized Flood Alleviation Works (pdf 389kb)

Map of Small to Medium-sized Flood Alleviation Works (pdf 7.8mb)

Details of the major projects are below:

Willerby and Derringham Flood Alleviation Scheme (WaDFAS)

Working in partnership with Hull City Council WaDFAS reduces surface water flood risk to parts of Willerby in the East Riding of Yorkshire and the Derringham area of Hull. 

The scheme consists of a series of lagoons and associated infrastructure along the Great Gutter Valley that reduces the risk of surface water flooding to approximately 8000 homes. The scheme was completed in 2016 and has already operated as designed on multiple occasions to reduce flood risk to properties in the benefit area. The scheme was funded through Defra Flood Defence Grant in Aid (FDGiA) which is administered by the Environment Agency, and the European Regional Development Fund.

Willerby and Derringham Flood Alleviation Scheme (WaDFAS) (pdf 2mb)

Drone flythrough footage of the scheme construction is available to view below:

WaDFAS was part funded by the European Regional Development Fund 2007-2013.

The European Regional Development Fund was established by the European Commission to help local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support local businesses and create jobs.

Cottingham and Orchard Park Flood Alleviation Scheme (COPFAS)

The £20m COPFAS involved constructing a series of large lagoons to store rainfall run-off and reduce the risk of surface water flooding to over 4,000 properties. The project is funded thanks to successful bids to secure around £14m Defra FDGiA funding and £5m of Local Growth Funding (LGF) from the Humber Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP). Construction is complete and the scheme has already operated to reduce the flood risk to property in the benefit area.

Cottingham and Orchard Park Flood Alleviation Scheme (COPFAS) (pdf 472kb)

A video showing the creation of the lagoons and watercourse is available to view below:

Anlaby and East Ella Flood Alleviation Scheme (AEEFAS)

The £21m AEEFAS will reduce risk of surface water flooding to over 4,000 properties. Around £16m of FDGiA funding has been secured for the scheme with a contribution of £5.1m of LGF from the Humber LEP. Construction is complete and the scheme has already operated to reduce the flood risk to property in the benefit area:

Anlaby & East Ella Flood Alleviation Scheme (AEEFAS) (pdf 761kb)

Drone footage showing all three phases under construction is available here:

Hull and Holderness Flood Alleviation Scheme (HaHFAS)

The installation of a 520-metre glass wall at Paull was completed in October 2016 as part of Phase 1 of HaHFAS. Construction work on a further four sections of defence to complete the scheme finished in 2018. The innovative structure is the UK's longest glass tidal defence structure and will reduce the risk of tidal flooding to around 1,500 properties in the area. The scheme was supported with £3m of LGF administered by the Humber LEP, in addition to Defra FDGiA funding and a contribution from East Riding of Yorkshire Council.

Drone footage of the Paull glass wall is available to view below:

Phase 2 will look to reduce inland flooding from fluvial and surface water sources in the south Holderness area. The development of this stage is ongoing and further information will be made available in due course, subject to technical and financial approvals.

Pocklington Flood Alleviation Scheme (POCFAS)

Completed in 2019, POCFAS is designed to reduce the risk of flooding to around 140 properties in the market town of Pocklington. The new scheme, costing £4.7m, involved the construction of a dam on Mill Beck, to create a flood storage reservoir, upstream of the town. The scheme has already operated to reduce the flood risk to property in the benefit area.

The scheme was funded by Defra FDGiA and Local Levy administered by the Environment Agency, Local Growth Funding from the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership Growth Deal and by Housing developer Persimmon Homes.

York based Persimmon Homes made a sizable contribution which was vital to the formation of the flood scheme. It followed the approval of plans for a housing development nearby. The site had already been allocated for housing in our Local Plan subject to the delivery of a flood scheme to benefit Pocklington.

POCFAS is one of only a minority of flood schemes in the country to be partly funded by the private sector.

Pocklington Flood Alleviation Scheme (POCFAS) (pdf 544kb)

Hessle Foreshore Tidal Defence 

This £11m project will reduce tidal flood risk to parts of Hessle and West Hull, including those that suffered significant flooding during the tidal surge in December 2013. The scheme, which will directly benefit more than 4000 homes and businesses, is funded with grants from Defra FDGiA, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government administered European Regional Development Fund and Local Growth Funding from the Humber Local Enterprise Partnership.

Working in partnership with Highways England, works to construct a 600 metre long concrete barrier along the A63 are now complete. Improvement works at Hessle Clough Sluice are also complete. The construction of a 465 metre long glass panel and concrete flood wall along Cliff Road commenced in May 2020 and will be completed by summer 2021. The road underneath the Humber Bridge will also be raised to tie in with the concrete barrier as it passes under the bridge. Any decisions regarding the ongoing mobilisation of the sites, and the nature of works undertaken will be taken in line with the latest government guidance regarding COVID-19.

The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) is part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020. Established by the European Union, the ERDF helps local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support innovation, businesses, create jobs and local community regeneration.

Local Growth Funding contributions for COPFAS, AEEFAS, HaHFAS, POCFAS and Hessle Foreshore Tidal Defence are supported by Northern Powerhouse.

South Withernsea Coastal Defence Scheme

Completed in 2020 this multi-million pound project provides protection against future coastal erosion to the previously undefended section of coastline at South Withernsea. The scheme extends the current defences by 400 metres directly benefiting businesses, residential properties and holiday chalets. Further benefits include extending the lifespan of key strategic infrastructure and creating an area of improved habitat on the coastal slope above the new defences. The scheme will receive approximately £3 million of funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020.

Watch the time lapse video of the construction of the South Withernsea sea defence below:

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is the managing authority for the ERDF. Established by the European Union, the ERDF helps local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support innovation, businesses, create jobs and local community regeneration.

The Northern Powerhouse is a key aspect of this Government's approach to addressing the productivity gap in the North and ensuring a stronger, more sustainable economy for all parts of the UK.

Alongside over £1.28 billion of ERDF support for businesses and communities across the North, the Government has awarded £3.4 billion in three rounds of Growth Deals across the Northern Powerhouse.

Withernsea Groynes

The circa £3m groyne improvement scheme was carried out over 2017/18 and replaced and refurbished seven of the most degraded timber groynes at Withernsea. Funding was secured from Defra's FDGiA and works were completed in March 2018.

Withernsea Seathorne Revetment

Defra FDGiA funding to repair and strengthen foundations of a seawall that fronts Seathorne Promenade in Withernsea was secured in March 2017. Works were completed on site in March 2018.

What information is available about insurance for households in flood risk areas?

We are aware of concerns about affordable insurance in flood risk areas and have been active in engaging with central government and the insurance industry to achieve this. It is our view that insurance should not be unreasonably withheld from people in flood risk areas.

The government and the Association of British Insurers agreed on a way to allow for affordable insurance in areas affected by flooding. This is known as 'Flood Re'.

Further information can be found on the Flood Re and ABI website:

Flood Re (external website)

Flooding - ABI website (external website)

What information is available about the River Hull catchment area?

We have published the River Hull Integrated Catchment Area Strategy.

We are currently working with the Environment Agency, Beverley & North Holderness Internal Drainage Board and other stakeholders to continue to improve our understanding of the River Hull catchment area.

We will continue to work together to ensure it is managed appropriately now and in the future.

Key to this is future funding to be able to continue to maintain the existing flood assets (such as pumping stations and embankments) and develop further schemes to improve the resilience in the catchment area. The Environment Agency provides updates regarding future funding:

Environment Agency River Hull catchment area funding statement (pdf 152kb)