Report and observations by County Cllr Mike Jordan into the flooding event at Hirst Courtney and West Bank on 25th Feb 2020.

Incident—flooding of properties on the south side of Hirst Road at West Bank and Hirst Courtney, coupled with subsequent flooding at Snaith.

River level observations.
FEBRUARY—24th
Leeds Crown Point—fell sharply at 4pm on the 24th. West Bank Pond rose steadily throughout the evening and into next day coupled with high tides.

MARCH —10th
Holbeck Flood rose above trigger level and then fell sharply late in the evening. There was a spike/rise at West Bank Pond peaking around 6am on the 11th. The river level at Carlton on the 10th was going down with the tide BUT then shot up despite the tide going out.

I am told that the EA believe this to be irrelevant. I would need to see proof. It is clear from the levels on March 10th that anything happening in Leeds has an effect further downstream. The March actions were entirely consistent with how things should be done. I am puzzled with the timing of the release on Feb 24th and also the rate of its release—surely they were able to actually control the release rather than just dropping it as fast as possible? The level drop after the initial 4hrs period suggests they could have and why did they wait until the level had shot up so much—was anyone watching the levels at the time? I would argue a more controlled release started earlier would have reduced the large ‘slug’ of water going down.

There are other factors to be looked at as well.

  1. There was no flooding at Brotherton wash lands or Ferrybridge Square or Hensall.
  2. There was no flooding/overtopping at Newland which is further down river from Carlton.
  3. The old bridge would, in my opinion, have played a part in this. It looks quite thin, but the stonework is twice as wide under water as I observed at low tide, and takes up a significant % of the width of the river. I am also informed by a resident that the river was higher by as much as a metre, upriver from it.
    As a former chemical engineer at the chemical works at Mirfield (Dr Reddys) right alongside the River Aire I can tell you first-hand about the effect of a bridge on the flow of a river.
  4. The timing of the event to me appeared to coincide with a high tide. Surely they had enough knowledge already ‘banked’ to know when it’s best to release to avoid such a situation.

FURTHER OBSERVATIONS

  1. No one was prepared to take responsibility for the failed flap valves on the drains, which threatened several properties on the north side of the road. Those valves have now been repaired by local residents despite paying money to the Drainage Board each year and other agencies through rates. Thankfully the Fire brigade came to the rescue with a pump long enough for residents to source some for themselves. This saved 5 properties and Yorkshire Salads depot.
  2. The barrier put up by the residents at West Bank using plastic sheeting and stone/soil was cheap and very effective. They were lucky in that the community has a number of folk with diggers etc. and were able to do this. I personally think they were better as a barrier than sandbags as there are no gaps, but it is also fair to say it wouldn’t be practical everywhere.
  3. There was confusion over sandbag usage and one property behind Newcoates could have been saved had they been given bags a mere 2 hrs earlier. They are very upset at everyone.
  4. Pilfering, or attempts at it, were a constant threat meaning that the residents had to form a 24hrs rota to safeguard properties. The EA lost some large pumps I am informed, so had 24hrs cover themselves at Hirst Courtney.
  5. I concentrated on dealing with Selby District Council and they had officers there, on the ground, regularly.
  6. The EA rolled up regularly in vans. Most had no idea about the area and on the 25th we actually had a visit by 2 senior officers to observe what was going on.
  7. Clean up operations went reasonably well. Tensions were high and there were some issues such as a scuffle between a resident and what transpired to be volunteers who had come to help shift stuff.
  8. Rubicon were brilliant and whoever organised them wants a big thank you. They helped allsorts and I had the opportunity to inform them where help was needed and to assist with organising skips in the right locations.
  9. Newcoats Farm, owned by David Leek, was saved because he had a digger and went around his property and that of his sons and made a makeshift mud bank. Longer term it needs to go round 2 other properties behind his and to that end he, and they, have applied for a grant to do just that.

CONCLUDING REMARKS.
The fact we had an incident solely located in one specific area of the River Aire between Leeds and the estuary, with no incidents anywhere else to speak of, suggests we had a large body of water right at that point. It had to spill out somewhere. If the banks were the same height all along the section from Ferrybridge to the estuary then that is the point where all the water had gathered. It appears to me that it was partly held there by the old bridge, had met an incoming high tide just at that point and was a larger volume of water than would ordinarily be present due to the extra water sent down from Leeds. The cumulative effect, in my opinion must have had a bearing on this incident.
I will be very interested in seeing the alternate report prepared by countless experts at the EA who will no doubt refute it all BUT I, and the residents, would need to see that evidence which must be laid out simply and clearly.