Flood Defences: South Ferriby

Flood Defences: South Ferriby

As a result of the continued threat from flooding, and in particular the devastating tidal surge of 2013, steps have been put in place to strengthen the flood defences at South Ferriby. Great losses occurred in December 2013, when 129 properties and 1,000 hectares of land were flooded, with an estimated £50m worth of economic loss to the area.

Temporary defences were put in place in 2017 along the A1077 (which runs along the Banks of the Humber and over the River Ancholme at Ferriby Sluice) due to the threat of further tidal surges and breaches of the river bank.

 

Temporary flood defences, 2017

However, a £15 million flood defence scheme to help protect homeowners and businesses in South Ferriby has now been drawn up by the Environment Agency. It is part of a £40 million investment by the government  provided in July 2018 to deliver this scheme and others across the country to address the increasing threats from global warming and rising water. The Environment Agency scheme will help to protect land in the vicinity of Ferriby Sluice,144 homes and agricultural land, as well as the CEMEX cement plant and the Hope and Anchor pub at the mouth of the Ancholme river. The government funding will also help the Environment Agency unlock millions of pounds worth of partnership funding for the South Ferriby Flood Alleviation Scheme.

https://www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/news/environment/grand-1-9-million-scheme-to-ease-flooding-problems-in-south-ferriby-in-the-isle-of-axholme-1-9485460

South Ferriby Flood Plan 2019

https://lincolnshirereporter.co.uk/2019/03/1-9m-south-ferriby-flood-defences-to-get-green-light/

The proposals would see a new impermeable flood embankment west of the CEMEX Plant, and improvements to the north of the A1077 where the embankment will be raised. New brick clad walls would be built in the area around Ferriby Sluice and defences would be placed across the A1077 when flood warnings are issued. The plan received approval on 13th March, 2019 and work has now commenced.

 

Work commences 22 March, 2019

https://www.northlincs.gov.uk/leader-welcomes-new-south-ferriby-flood-defences/

Site visits

Since the work commenced I have visited the site on a number of occasions to see what the works entail and the effect on the local landscape. I have walked the route of the new defences, along part of the embankment which has now been done, and seen the work started at the CEMEX plant. I have recorded progress so far with my camera throughout the end of March and April, 2019.

Defences A1077

 

 

Looking towards the Humber

 

 

Walking towards the Humber from the A1077

 

 

View from the Humber

 

 

Layout of Works, CEMEX Plant

 

 

 

  Building of banks, CEMEX

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Work in progress, CEMEX - views from the west

 

Relevance to my work

 

Landscape

 

It can be seen from the above images that the current flood defence works are having a huge impact on the landscape. Hard edges of concrete blocks now lead the way to the Humber embankment. Areas of former agricultural land have made way for the building of embankments and other defence works can be seen at the CEMEX site. I am now able to compare photographs taken before these works and after, and undertake a visual impact assessment. Below is a photograph I took in October, 2018, at that time I was not aware of the defence plans for this area. However, we can now see how the previous agricultural "plain" has been used to create the site for the embankments and defences to protect the Cement works, its car park and football pitch from further devastating floods.

 

 

Similar view of the CEMEX Plant, October, 2018

 

 

Tidal Surge and Drought

 

My experience of walking along the Ancholme and the banks of the Humber at South Ferriby make me feel very close to the water. It cannot be ignored. Sometimes it gushes in at high tide, and at other times it retreats, leaving boats marooned on muddy banks. It swirls around obstacles in its way and one becomes aware of its unending power which people try to control. I have made some images already of different tidal conditions and aim to continue to do so as I am interested in the battle of the elements and the effect on the landscape.

 

 

 Water swirls around ruined jetty (submersed at high tide)

 

 

Water retreats along muddy banks

 

However, as I have walked along the river banks and the new concrete blocks which form the river defences, I cannot help but see (incongruously) how dry and baked the earth is. Large cracks have appeared along the walkway, and I wonder about how not only does climate change entails floods, but droughts as well. We often go a long time without rain and summers can now be quite hot. I took some photographs of the parched earth along the embankment to illustrate my point.

 

 

 

 

Dry baked earth along the embankment

 

Future Works

 

I am thinking about how I can translate some of the power of  water, the wet, sticky mud of low tide and the hard, dry baked earth. I will look back at my previous experiments with materials and get ideas as to how I can depict these aspects of my research and put my thoughts into practice - it is a fascinating area to consider. Another aspect of my practice may be how the soft, natural aspects of the landscape contrast harshly with the new bulky forms of the man-made flood defence structures, and I will consider these thoughts further as I progress.