 |
Pam Greensides, of Cookbury Close, Bransholme, where neighbours pulled together after the area was badly hit by flooding |
 |
Paris Pritchard, aged 3, and sister Aimeeleigh (5) with their mum Karen. Along with dad Paul, they were forced to live in a caravan after floods hit their home on Hotham Road South |
 |
Staff at the Hull Advice Service call centre |
 |
Members of the Independent Review Body (L-R): Malcolm Scott (partner, Scotts Chartered Surveyors), Harold Hardcastle (divisional director of estates, ARCO Ltd), Prof. Greg Bankoff (from Hull University's History Department), Sir Michael Pitt, Prof. Tom Coulthard and Prof Lynne Frostick (both from Hull University's Geography Department).
|
 |
Lifeline for hundreds of residents: the furniture distribution centre at Woodford Leisure Centre |
People power
The final report into last summer's floods praised the "incredible resilience" of Hull residents, and also made some key findings
"The good will, comradeship and willingness to help neighbours and strangers in times of need were extraordinary."
That was one of the findings of the final report published by the Independent Review Body (IRB) set up to examine last summer's floods.
And you don't have to go far to find examples of that community spirit.
Charlene West, a community development worker from the council's west area team, has noticed how neighbours who wouldn't normally meet have since become the best of friends.
"There was a case where a family's gas supply ran out in their caravan while they were cooking Sunday lunch," says Charlene.
"So they went into a neighbour's house to borrow the oven to finish off cooking the chicken and the Yorkshires.
"There was another story about a man who cooked a meal for 12 neighbours who were all living in caravans.
"Everyone has gone through such a difficult time and so many people from the same communities have been affected – and that's the reason that so many people are supporting, helping and advising each other.
"The first thing people ask when they see each other on the street is 'how's your home coming along?' and then conversations start from there."
Team of experts
The IRB, made up of a group of experts from the public, private and community sectors, was set up by Hull City Council to examine why the floods happened and how to prevent floods in the future.
Its members, including top academics from Hull University and leading chartered surveyors from the city, have met more than 20 times and heard evidence from a wide range of key agencies and organisations.
These include the Environment Agency, Yorkshire Water, Hull City Council, voluntary organisations, community wardens, the emergency services, the Association of British Insurers, local MPs and residents and community groups.
The IRB's second and final report is based on information from all those sources.
Yorkshire Water
Following a review of Yorkshire Water's pumped drainage system, the report states: "We found a series of serious issues with its design, maintenance and operation. At Bransholme and Kingswood, where over 1,000 homes flooded, the pumping station responsible for the area's drainage failed during the floods. Yorkshire Water reports in 1996 and 2001 raised concerns about the capacity, reliability and structural integrity of the Bransholme pumping station. Yorkshire Water was unable to confirm or produce any records of any action taken in light of these reports. We believe that had Yorkshire Water acted on some of these recommendations then the flooding in Bransholme and Kingswood would not have been so severe."
Recommendations
Some of the reports key recommendations include:
- Urgent action be taken to improve the drainage system, including upgrading Bransholme pumping station with extra capacity and the re-development of east and west Hull pumping stations
- More power be given to Ofwat, the Government's water regulator, to control the design and performance of water utility companies' drainage systems for flood conditions
- Extra protection be given to key social infrastructure, such as schools
- With regard to insurance, the Government should look at underwriting flood risk or other alternatives, as is the custom in other western European countries.
- Building regulations be changed to ensure that flood resilience measures (e.g. resistant materials, changes in wiring) are mandatory in flood risk areas.
Learning lessons
"We were the only council in the country to set up an independent review body to look into the floods," says leader of Hull City Council, Cllr Carl Minns.
"Many of its recommendations are national ones – so the country as a whole can benefit from its findings.
"There are also a number of local recommendations, including actions which Hull City Council should take - and we have developed an action plan which includes all those recommendations, as well as additional improvements we have identified through our own internal review.
"One recommendation, for example, was that the council ensures local communities understand how best to deal with any future flood events - and our flood advice service is taking on that educational role on top of helping people rebuild their lives.
"Another recommendation was that key council staff receive emergency training as part of their ongoing personal development – and that is something that is already happening."
Other findings
Hull City Council staff were praised in the report as being "extremely resourceful in creatively responding to the many unusual tasks and situations they were called upon to handle."
And the city's network of more than 300 community wardens, which are part-funded by council, were also praised - as an "invaluable resource" in the way they went beyond their call of duty and drew upon their vast local knowledge.
They were "effective and flexible" in their many actions, which included helping evacuate schools and homes, identifying hazards such as missing manhole covers, and distributing protective equipment and emergency rations, states the report.
The voluntary sector too was praised in the report, which states that "it played a huge, yet largely unseen role organising and helping many communities and groups."
Schools
The report found that schools were "especially badly hit" and that 91 out of all 99 schools were affected, with more than 114,000 pupil days lost. Millions of pounds of earnings were lost because parents were forced to take time off work to look after their children as a result of school closures.
"The floods have shown the importance of schools as a social hub to the community, and how their closure can have a high social and economic cost."
 |
Pupils from Westcott Primary School in east Hull and (top, left) the school during the floods |
|
Judith Dillon empties her dehumidifier |
|
