2010 And Nowts Changed!

Third November 2000 - SEVERE FLOOD ALERT.

North Yorkshire hit by record flood levels. I am reminded of something quoted while a student, ‘Little things grow into big things and big things cost money.’ Listening to a Flood Debate with the Environment Agency on Radio York, it struck me communities up river were in part responsible for the disaster in the Vale of York. In years previous copious amounts of water would be taken up by the land and dispersed slowly into our rivers. Now, however, much of the same land is covered with housing and industrial developments, hard landscape and new road schemes.We live beside one of the country’s fastest flowing rivers. While drawing much water from the upper dales, quantities are magnified when passing through developing areas. Various groups are looking for ways to halt or reduce the amount of development in the Wharfe valley. The above problems should be raised whenever new plans are brought before relevant planning committees. Numerous small, by comparison, developments soon add upto many thousand hectares of roof and hard standing diverting water into already full rivers.Residents of Burley, Menston and Ilkley, of nearby cities, towns and villages have a duty to help stop future disasters down river. How many new developments have the sustainable drainage systems alluded to by the Environment Agency? Will future planning applications require such drainage systems? And if not, why not?Our local radio stations provide vital links to the populace in times of emergency, in some cases better than television. They need our support as much as we need theirs. So turn off the tele, turn on the radio and hear how much you have been missing.BBC Radio York 103.7, 104.3 & 95.5FMBBC Radio Leeds 92.4, 95.3FM & 774AMFor other BBC Radio frequencies turn to http://www.bbc.co.uk/Something to think about when campaigning against future developments like the proposed 300 new homes at Derry Hill and Bingley Road in Menston.