Flood Action Week: How you can help shape new six-year plan to protect our region from flooding

This Flood Action Week, the people of Hull are being asked to help shape a new flood risk management plan.

Working with England’s lead local flood authorities, including Hull City Council, along with other risk management authorities, the Environment Agency has produced 10 draft Flood Risk Management Plans (FRMPs) for public consultation, one for each of England’s river basin districts.

England’s 10 river basin districts (Picture: Environment Agency)

The Humber River Basin District covers an area of 26,100 sq km and extends from the West Midlands in the south, northwards to North Yorkshire, and from Staffordshire in the west to parts of Lincolnshire and the Humber Estuary in the east.

More than 12.3 million people live and work in towns, cities and villages within the district, including Hull, Grimsby, Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield, Birmingham, Derby, Leicester and Nottingham.

Here are five things you can (and should) do this Flood Action Week:Video Player00:0000:35

Flood Risk Management Plans set out how flood risk will be managed in nationally identified areas and must be updated every six years, as required by the Flood Risk Regulations 2009. Feedback from the consultation will help inform the second cycle of plans and actions for the period 2021-2027.

The Kingston upon Hull and Haltemprice Flood Risk Area is closely aligned with the work of Hull City Council and the Living with Water partnership.

The Kingston upon Hull and Haltemprice Flood Risk Area (highlighted in pink)

Councillor Dean Kirk, portfolio holder for flood prevention, said: “After London, Hull is the UK city most vulnerable to flooding. Around 100,000 homes at risk across East Yorkshire and, as we all know, the climate is rapidly changing. It is therefore more important than ever that we plan together to improve our flood management and resilience.

“Working in partnership with the Environment Agency and local authorities across the Humber river basin district, we can deliver effective measures that will protect our city.

“We encourage everyone in Hull to have their say and help shape these plans.”

Responding to the consultation

The public consultation runs until Friday 21 January 2022. To view the draft Flood Risk Management Plan and respond online, visit the Environment Agency’s consultation hub.

People are encouraged to respond online, but alternatively can download the response form and email it to enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk before 11.45pm on Friday 21 January.

Completed forms can also be returned by post (sent on or before 21 January) to: Environment Agency, Draft FRMPs consultation, National Customer Contact Centre, PO Box 544, Rotherham, S60 1BY.

To request a hard copy of the consultation document or response form, call the Environment Agency on 03708 506 506 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm) or email enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk.

The measures proposed in the draft align with those in Hull’s Local Flood Risk Management Strategy 2021 – 2027, for which a separate public consultation ended last week.

It’s Flood Action Week!

More than five million homes and businesses are at risk of flooding. Don’t assume it won’t happen to you.

Learn what to do in a flood

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