Drainage in town ‘did not lead to flooding’

AN INVESTIGATION into a major flood which hit a North Yorkshire seaside town last year has found that the drainage network was not to blame for the flooding.

Parts of Scarborough were swamped by an intense burst of rain on August 23, 2017, which caused flooding damage to more than 130 properties, including homes, schools and businesses.

Streets turned to rivers and roads were badly damaged as water forced its way out from under the surface.

New figures have revealed that Scarborough got close to its annual average August rainfall total in less than one hour on that day.

North Yorkshire County Council, as the lead local flood authority, has carried out an investigation into what can be learned in the aftermath.

A report which will be discussed by senior councillors on Monday next week has noted that nearly an inch-and-a-half of rain fell in an hour in Scarborough, the majority of the downpour in just one 15-minute period.

Following the flooding, there were 25 calls to North Yorkshire’s highways officials which cited blocked gullies as being the cause of localised flooding.

However, the report has concluded that blocked drains were not the cause of the flooding and warned that there is little that can be done to prevent a repeat.

Among the areas which were worst hit were Eastborough, which leads down to the beach from the town centre, Valley Road, Ramshill and the roads around Peasholm Park and its lake.

The total value of the repairs to road surfaces alone was £240,000.