The Environment Agency secured £36.5m in Government funding yesterday allowing work to begin this autumn on repairing flood defences that lie within a 7.5km stretch of the River Hull.
Some 39 riverside locations are in need of repair. These have aged or deteriorated over time, posing a risk of flooding when river levels are high.
As part of the first phase of the project, BMM will repair damaged flood walls and other weak spots to ensure that the existing level of protection will be provided for years to come.
Initial surveying and construction work will start in autumn this year. The first phase of the project will be complete by 2019, and additional phases of work will follow.
Neil Longden, flood risk manager at the Environment Agency, said: “The River Hull Defences scheme is a large and complex project. We are working closely with landowners, businesses, river users and Hull City Council to develop the design and the works programme.
The £36.5m scheme is just the start of major flood defence improvements in the area. By 2021 The Agency will invest a further £86m into the estuary reducing the risk of flooding for more than 50,000 homes.