Coastal £2.3m flood wall is approved

COUNCIL BOSSES have approved the next phase of a £2.3m plan that aims to protect an historic area of the Yorkshire coast from flood damage.

Scarborough Council’s cabinet voted yesterday to create and install a flood wall, which will be built along Whitby’s Church Street.

Under the proposals, the wall will safeguard a large number of listed homes and buildings in the town from potential tidal surges.

The plan was first announced in 2015 following the surge of December two years earlier, which plunged Whitby into darkness and left scores of properties and homes flooded.

The strength of the surge also carried away cars from the Church Street car park.

It led to a clean-up bill that totalled hundreds of thousands of pounds in the wake of the damage.

The cabinet yesterday appointed Esh Construction Limited as the contractor for the scheme.

The authority also plans to take ownership of some land from North Yorkshire County Council to enable the scheme to be completed.

Coun Sandra Turner, for Whitby, said: “I am very pleased this is moving forward to ensure protection for businesses and residents in Church Street. Anyone who has suffered flooding knows it is absolutely devastating.”

In total, 54 residential properties and six businesses will be protected by the wall.

The original budget for the scheme rose by more than £1m due to the need for further surveys to be carried out and works on contaminated land. Inflation also added to the 2014 budget.

The council also managed to secure a further £1.1m from the Local Enterprise Partnership, in order to make up the funding shortfall.