Latest news with #StormPierrick
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Businesses at risk of flooding feel 'let down' as £70m scheme halted
Businesses still reeling from major flooding last year feel "let down" after plans to protect hundreds of homes and businesses from flooding has been paused. The River Itchen Flood Alleviation Scheme (RIFAS) is planned to cover a 3.7-kilometre stretch on the west side of the estuary from the Itchen Bridge to just past the Northam Bridge, but has now been "temporarily halted", Southampton City Council says. The scheme would have protected more than 153 homes, including the Northam Estate, 288 businesses, and key road and rail links from flooding. The decision to halt the scheme comes after the Environment Agency (EA) decided to withdraw its funding in March. Costs have also ballooned, to almost double, with an identified funding shortfall that now exceeds £50 million. Businesses that flooded in Storm Pierrick last year have reacted with bitter disappointment to the news. READ MORE: Gary Hocking owns the Express MOT Garage on Endle Road. Just last year, his business was brought to the brink after suffering £90,000 in damage as flood water rushed in during the night. Even now, he still finds equipment rendered unusable by the water. He said: "I am disappointed to hear it, we feel let down. As a business owner, there is no consideration being given by the council or by the EA. "We are still at a big risk. I am always watching the weather in case there's another flood. I never got help last time. "It is going to take years to get back, getting equipment repaired. Still, no insurance company will touch businesses along here." Flooding in Albert Road North, Southampton, in April 2024READ MORE: Another affected business owner, 64, who does not want to be named for fear of suffering further financial harm, says the flood last year caused so much damage that he had to sell his flat to raise funds to stay in business. He said: "We lost everything. One of our customers lost about £100,000 in stock and went bust. "We could lose our business because of this, because the council has done nothing, and we could go bust in a month. "I wish I could do something about it, but the only way I can get out of here is if I go bust." The leader of Southampton City Council, Councillor Lorna Fielker said: "While we appreciate the significant challenges facing the River Itchen Flood Alleviation Scheme, we remain dedicated to finding ambitious, strategic and innovative alternative plans to improve flood resilience for the area." Speaking in the Southampton Full Council meeting, Cllr Eamon Keogh said that the reason the Environment Agency pulled funding was because there were other schemes elsewhere in the country that were "ready to go", adding that the "EA has been underfunded over the last 14 years".
BBC News
28-02-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Criticised £20m flood wall 'was effective' in storm
Flood defences which cost £20m and were criticised after homes and a businesses were deluged in a storm on Merseyside "worked as intended" and "limited the damage", a review has found. Waves spilled over the West Kirby sea wall during Storm Pierrick on 9 April last resulted in staff at Tanskeys Bistro being evacuated by the RNLI, damage to some properties and cars and people being trapped inside their homes. There were calls for a "full and frank investigation" into the effectiveness of the defences, but a review carried out by Wirral Council and the Environment Agency said that the "overtopping was not unexpected" and the wall had broken "the energy of the waves". The seafront defences were completed in 2023 and Liberal Democrat councillor Stuart Kelly claimed the wall had failed "so spectacularly" during the the review said it was clear the storm was "a significant event which resulted in extreme sea levels" and "extreme wave heights" which data suggests "likely met the limit of or exceeded the design standard for the new flood wall at West Kirby", the Local Democracy Reporting Service said the three homes flooded were at a location where the flooding was deepest and would have benefited from property level protection like some of their no flood warning was issued for West Kirby with the council report adding: "Public expectations that the wall would prevent all flooding may have been a factor in not utilising property level protection." The report said: "The overtopping that occurred as a result of the conditions on the day is therefore not unexpected. "The new defences, however, limited the damage that would have otherwise occurred had they not been built."The new flood wall worked as intended in breaking the energy of the waves and retaining an extreme mean sea level on the seaward side of the wall." 'Vindication of investment' There are three remaining recommendations in the report yet to be completed:Taking measures to manage flood risk to the roadSecondary defences at the entrances of Coronation GardensRaising awareness of the design limitations to any flood defence and that there may still be risksCouncillor Liz Grey said the flood alleviation scheme had done its job. "The damage caused to other areas, including other parts of Wirral, showed the extremity of the conditions so for properties in West Kirby to be impacted in a relatively minor way is vindication of the investment," she added she was "heartened" to read testimonies from some local residents who said they "felt safer and more protected from the event" as a result of the flood wall. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
