News Relief fund set to help victims
Victims of the recent floods in Goole and surrounding villages could benefit from a £5,000 relief fund which has been set up to help them rebuild their shattered lives and homes.
The recent flood misery saw many homes in Goole and nearby villages badly affected, as the relentless rain poured during June and July.
Residents of Millennium Way off Hook Road, which has been a prime victim of flooding in recent years, again saw their street flooded with water that seeped into their homes.
Throughout the drama, all residents could do was work together in a desperate bid to clear away some of the flood water, but this proved to be an impossible task as the rain continued to pour down.
East Riding of Yorkshire Council attempted to alleviate the problem by distributing sandbags to many parts of the area, but the demand for the bags was high and resources were stretched.
A 'Town and Parish Fund' to the value of £5,000 has been set up for people in the community who have recently suffered flood damage to their homes.
This means that anybody who has been affected by the floods and did not have insurance can contact Goole Town Council, who will then claim from the East Riding for any damages on their behalf.
Goole Town Councillors proposed on Monday that there should be improved emergency planning, an amendment to local development planning and an improved gully-cleaning scheme, in light of the recent flooding.
Cllr Kester Dean proposed that all new developments should conform to a national standard for drains so that they can cope with the inevitable effects of global warming.
He said: "The rain is likely to get more intense. I think developers should have to show that their schemes conform to best practice. Its vital to start this right away."
Cllr Malcolm Boatman added: "This issue is going to be in the spotlight a lot more now. We are faced with the decision between prevention upstream or mopping-up downstream; either way the taxpayer is picking up the bill."
Cllr Kester Dean proposed: "All new developments need to prove that they are safe. This has to be planned for and the risk reduced and managed. The 'live for today' attitude has to stop."
Cllr Dean has hit out over the flood risk posed to new housing developments in the past. In March this year, he raised concerns over the forthcoming Reubens Reach housing development off Bretton Avenue, claiming that it was an "inappropriate site" which showed that developers were "prepared to build anywhere".
At Monday's meeting, Cllr Pat O'Neil pointed out that there should be a planned scheme of gully cleaning because builders allowed cement and plaster to enter the gullies. She commented: "This is something that should never be allowed to happen."
Goole Town Council Clerk Brian Robertson suggested that the council should adopt an emergency strategy in case flooding occurred on a large-scale again.
"I want to maintain a list of all local radios and equipment etc and farmers that would help out if this did happen again," he said.
Published on 2nd August 2007 in News.
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