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Search forFlooded East Riding residents pick up ideas in Holland
Tuesday, April 29, 2008, 07:00
Members of the Holderness Flood Defence Group (HFDG) were today heading across the North Sea on a fact-finding mission to the village of Wilnis, an area of the Netherlands which has suffered flooding in the past.
The group includes residents from Burstwick, which was badly affected by last summer's floods.
They are hoping to find out how the Dutch – considered world leaders in land drainage – protect their communities against flooding.
The trip has been paid for by contributions made over the last 10 months to Burstwick United, a forerunner to the HFDG.
Ron Smith, who lives in Burstwick, said the geography of Wilnis and the surrounding area is similar to parts of Holderness.
He said: “It is hoped to form a special friendship with this village which was devastated in 2003, much like we were last year.
“We will meet with the mayor of Wilnis, the Dutch press, various dignitaries and Dutch water management consultants at Wilnis and we will ask local organisations if they would like to be linked up with those in Burstwick.”
The HFDG has grown from Burstwick United – a residents' action group set up following the June floods – and now represents Hedon, Burstwick, Burton Pidsea, Thorngumbald and Preston.
The HFDG has also secured £9,000 funding from the East Riding Council Flood Relief Fund to pay for the Dutch consultants to assess the region.
The consultants will look at the problems from June 2007 and the near flood in January this year, with particular attention paid to the Burstwick Drain.
The company will visit Holderness this summer and meet with the HFDG and the Environment Agency to exchange information and offer a second opinion on future actions to reduce the flood risk for the area.
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FACT-FINDING TRIP: From left, Dr Jay Pinto, Ron Smith, Simon Taylor and Councillor Matthew Grove, of the Holderness Flood Defence Group, at Burstwick Drain before their trip to Holland to discuss flooding PICTURE: Peter Harbour
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