A PROJECT to manage the River Ure to help protect communities in North Yorkshire threatened by flooding has been backed by Rishi Sunak.
The MP for Richmond has given his support to the work of the Wensleydale Project Catchment Plan which aims to make flooding downstream less likely by holding more water in the upper reaches for longer during times of heavy rainfall.
Mirroring the successful “slowing the flow” measures implemented in Ryedale to protect Pickering, the Wensleydale plan uses natural flood management techniques.
Mr Sunak spent an afternoon speaking to representatives of the Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust and the Yorkshire Dales National Park who are working with dale farmers to implement a range of measures along the banks of the River Ure and its tributary streams.
These include:
- Planting along river and stream bank sides to stop erosion
- Building up banks to slow the run-off of water from fields and the build up of silt
- Blocking ditches and constructing “leaky dams” to hold water back.
At the Yorkshire Dales National Park’s headquarters in Bainbridge he was shown a river table – a model which demonstrates how rivers behave.
He also visited Matthew Bell’s dairy farm near Semerwater to inspect some of the measures which have been implemented there – including the planting of willow on raised banks to stop erosion and reduce the amont of silt in the river which improves water quality.
The willow and other bankside vegetation also provides a better environment for wildlife, particularly otters.
Mr Sunak said: “I was very impressed by what I was shown in Wensleydale. While natural flood defences may not always be the answer, there is increasing evidence that they can make a significant contribution.
“Last winter’s flooding reminded us that the speed with which water flows out of upland areas like Wensleydale can contribute to major problems further downstream in places like York and Boroughbridge. Something needs to be done to both improve water quality and to slow the flow.”
He also highlighted the work being done in Brompton by the village’s flood prevention group which has drawn up a scheme of similar measures to protect the community near Northallerton
Mr Sunak said the House of Commons select committee on the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs of which he was a member was drawing up a report on future flood prevention measures.
As part of its work, members of the committee had recently visited the Somerset Levels to see what had been done following the catastrophic floods of 2013/14.
As well as more dredging, natural flood defences were being implemented successfully and partnership working had been introduced.
“I’m convinced that often there isn’t one solution but a range of measures that will help lessen flooding risk,” said Mr Sunak. “Partnership working, as I have seen in action in Wensleydale and also Somerset, is definitely a way forward.”
The Wensleydale Project Catchment Plan was initiated following an idea from naturalist Deborah Millward, of Thornton Rust, who contacted Mr Sunak about its work.