5th February 2019
In June 2007, heavy flooding affected much of the UK. The city of Hull suffered a huge impact. Thousands of businesses and homes were affected.
The fire brigade records show that 100 phone calls an hour were received for 15 hours straight from stranded residents and the army was drafted in to help with sand- bagging and rescue operations.
Hull is still the second most vulnerable city in the UK. Because of this risk, the Living With Water partnership was formed to pro- vide investment in flood defences for the region, to help prevent a repeat of the 2007 floods. The Environment Agency, Hull City Council, East Riding Council and Yorkshire
Water came together to create a unique partnership.
With over £120million already invested, huge improvements have already been made, and the partnership has gained global recognition.
The Living With Water way of thinking, is that we need to learn to live with water, which means being innovative. As well as investing in pumping stations and flood defences, the group have been looking at ways to embrace water in the city through using biodiversity, aqua greens and trees. There is still plenty of work to be done and another £66m of investment is planned in the coming few years.
The Source caught up with the Living With Water
team to ask them what they have been doing to help Hull get back on it’s feet and think differently about water since the floods.
Listen to part one of our podcast below with General Manager for Living With Water Lee Pitcher and Lynnsey Pilmer Communications Manager here to find out more about what they’ve been getting up to!
After the floods, over 6000 people were forced to move out of their homes for the next 12 months, some living in caravans
Lynnsey Pilmer spoke with Gerry Dipnall, a Hull resident who was badly affected by the floods. Gerry chose to stay in her home while it dried out.
We asked her what it like, and how the part- nership has improved not only the city’s resilience, but the personal resilience of the local residents.
Listen to Gerry’s interview below here in the second part of our podcast...
