Hull flood storage land purchase approved

Hull City Council has been given the green light to purchase land alongside Holderness Drain to reduce the risk of flooding to 1,750 properties in East Hull.

With approximately £2.4 million of government funding has been secured for the project, the council has said the deal would cost £625,000 and would be bought jointly with East Riding of Yorkshire Council. The two councils will look to buy the 155 hectares of land.

Hundreds of properties were flooded in 2013 after a combination of high tides and strong winds caused a tidal surge, that breached flood defences along the east coast on 5 December.

Councillor Alan Clark, Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhoods and Communities, said: "The purchase of the land along Holderness Drain offers a once in a lifetime opportunity to manage flood risk in this part of the city.

"The cost to residents and businesses who suffered with flooding back in 2007 far outweighs the cost of this land should flooding occur again, funding from the right sources will help us to turn plans into action and this investment is crucial if we are to benefit from higher levels of flood protection in the future.

"It is also important to note that we are working closely with other external partners who can offer a high standard of natural habitat creation and management of the site."