A DECISION by the Environment Agency (EA) to raise a flood barrier during the worst flooding in York for more than 30 years was "the best option available" and may have saved lives, according to an independent report.
The review into the flooding, which inundated more than 600 properties in the city on Boxing Day 2015, looked at the EA's snap call to raise the 16.5-tonne Foss Barrier - a decision some residents said caused their homes to flood and was taken without any warning.
The review panel, commissioned by City of York Council and chaired by barrister Angharad Davies, said: "The action taken by the EA in opening the barrier prevented more properties from flooding than would have occurred had the barrier remained closed (and potentially saved lives)."
The barrier was built to protect properties around the River Foss from floodwater rushing up the waterway from the much bigger River Ouse during times of high water.
The Foss Barrier in York
River levels were so high on the afternoon of December 26 that the EA decided to raise to barrier, partly because water from the Foss was rising so quickly and because the barrier mechanism was becoming inundated, leaving engineers fearing they would lose control of the structure.
The independent report said: "This decision has been the subject of much scrutiny.
"On Boxing Day 2015, the EA was dealing with a dynamic and unprecedented situation on the Foss. The exceptional flow of water on the Foss was more than the design capacity of the Foss Barrier Pumping Station, which was 30 cubic metres per second.
"Although a difficult decision and taken under intense pressure,the subsequent hydrological surveys and analysis have shown that the decision to open the Foss Barrier was the best option available."
The report said the amount of water in the Foss meant that flooding to properties normally protected by the barrier was "inevitable" and there were reports that homes in the Huntington Road area were already flooding before the barrier was lifted.
The panel concluded: "The decision to open the Foss Barrier was the correct decision."
It said the decision was taken by the EA "without consultation with other stakeholders".
The report said this meant other agencies, including police and the council, were "frustrated" at having to "respond reactively", but it acknowledged there was "an unprecedented set of circumstances and a decision had to be taken very quickly".
The panel said: "There was no time to consult. In future, whenever possible, the EA should discuss decisions such as opening the Foss Barrier with their multi-agency partners."
It said electronic controls in the barrier were built in the 1980s below the maximum flood height as "local objections at the time resulted in the lower building height being the only acceptable option".
A number of areas were hit by severe flooding just after Christmas 2015 during what the report described as the wettest calendar month for the UK since records began in 1910.
The flooding in York was the worst since 1982 with 453 residential and 174 commercial properties affected.
Most were behind the Foss Barrier, but other homes were flooded as the water came within 20cm of the top of the River Ouse defences for the second time in four years.
The level recorded on the Ouse on December 28 was the second highest on record.
Many residents living around the River Foss have complained about a lack of warning and the panel suggested the EA should consider the use of a flood siren to complement existing warnings.
A £17 million programme to upgrade the Foss Barrier was started in April last year and is expected to be completed by the end of this year.
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