strategic flood risk assessment supplement - Hambleton District ...

THIRSK AREA
• Thirsk
Flooding
Following the flooding that affected Thirsk and other areas in November 2000, Hambleton District
Council set up a Flood Forum to bring Agencies together to consider solutions for significant areas
at risk from flooding. The Forum looked to identify the lead agency to address problems at each
identified location. A number of options were considered for the flooding in the centre of Thirsk after
which the District Council commissioned Consultants JBA in 2004 to investigate the feasibility of
providing a Flood Alleviation Scheme for Thirsk. The Hambleton work indicated that there was
potential for an economically viable Flood Alleviation Scheme for Thirsk at that time, though further
work was required.
In April 2006 the responsibility for Cod Beck watercourse was transferred to the Environment
Agency (EA) as part of a national programme to rationalise powers for watercourses which posed
significant risk for property flooding. This process changed the watercourses’ status from ordinary
watercourse to that of having main river status. The main river status means that the EA have
permissive powers to carry out works on the watercourse including Flood Alleviation works. This in
effect made the EA the lead agency for flood alleviation in Thirsk.
EA work on developing a scheme for Thirsk was suspended later in 2006 following cuts in the
Agency’s budgets.
The present position on the scheme is that the EA has gained funding to recommence work on the
Thirsk investigation works in 2008. Consultants – Royal Haskoning were appointed to develop a
Project Appraisal Report (PAR) and commenced work in summer 2008. A PAR is a detailed study
of an area/community affected by flooding and is used by the EA to inform the prioritisation of
funding for Flood Risk Management Schemes. It is anticipated that the Thirsk PAR will be
completed in October 2009.
The flood map for Thirsk town has been included for information purposes and confirms changes
made to the flood zone 2 and 3 extents to the north eastern area of Thirsk in the vicinity of
Whitelass Beck.
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