by Rebecca Hannant
The Environment Agency and the South Holderness Internal Drainage Board have completed temporary works to repair damaged flood defences along Humber Bank.
In September, South East Holderness Ward councillors Sean McMaster and Lyn Healing met with Beverley and Holderness MP Graham Stuart and Easington residents to discuss concerns relating to coastal erosion and displacement of the Humber Bank.
Residents said that the bank had been damaged by Storm Lillian in August, with parts of it left without adequate protection. People from across neighbouring Kilnsea, Skeffling and Easington became concerned that without intervention, the land could be flooded in the event of a high tide, which is a frequent occurrence in the winter months.
Cllr Sean McMaster was able to secure communications with the Environment Agency and administrative powers to look at securing more flood defences and repairing the existing barriers.
The EA then worked with the Internal Drainage Board to bring machinery to the site to relocate existing stones, while additional stones were sourced to restore the defences in areas where stone and land had come away. Discussions are now under way to source funding for longer-term flood defences.
Cllr McMaster said: “After a lot of hard work from the Environment Agency and the Internal Drainage Board, I am incredibly pleased to see that the repair work on the flood defences at the Humber Bank has been completed. I’m also glad that going forward this site will be monitored on a regular basis.”
Mr Stuart said: “The Environment Agency have brought out their teams. They have pulled up some stones, meanwhile they have also sourced additional stones.
“The IDB came in and worked with them to do some additional work on top. No one would say the situation here is perfect – however, it has significantly improved, and hopefully it should be good for the winter.”
