The Environment and Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Committee met on 2 September 2026 to discuss flooding, the work of Yorkshire and Humber Drainage Boards, and reports from Yorkshire Water and the Environment Agency. The Sub-Committee agreed to defer the pre-scrutiny of the Local Flood Risk Management Strategy and made several recommendations to improve flood risk management and awareness.

Yorkshire and Humber Drainage Boards

Andrew McLachlan, Chief Executive of the Yorkshire and Humber Drainage Boards, and Rob Hill, Head of Communications, presented an overview of the drainage boards' context, river maintenance, and efforts to mitigate climate change risks. They highlighted that there are 110 drainage boards across the country, often operating as consortia for efficiency. River maintenance and funding are national issues, with the Environment Agency acting as the main rivers authority. The River Hull valley was referenced as an area facing challenges due to national policy decisions, leading to some main rivers being in a chronic condition. The Sub-Committee was informed that East Riding of Yorkshire Council is considered a leading authority in flood risk service areas, with appropriate sustainable drainage policies and hydraulic modelling in place. The discussion also touched upon how tidal flood risk impacts spatial planning decisions. The representatives from the Yorkshire and Humber Drainage Boards were invited to stay for the remainder of the meeting.

Flooding

The Sub-Committee received a report on flooding from Adam Holmes, Interim Executive Director of Prosperity and Place, introduced by Councillor West, Portfolio Holder for Environment and Transport. The report detailed the Council's role in Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management (FCERM), as mandated by the Local Government Act 2000 and the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. The annual review focused on flood resilience, defences, surface water flooding's impact on highways, gully clearing, emergency planning, and engagement with town and parish councils.

A significant point of discussion was the Local Flood Risk Management Strategy, which had not been available for pre-scrutiny. The Sub-Committee agreed to defer its pre-scrutiny until 3 March 2027. The report highlighted engagement activities with Town and Parish Councils, including support for flood wardens and training. The importance of safe driving on flooded highways was also raised, with a suggestion that this topic could be explored further, potentially falling under the remit of the Safer and Stronger Communities Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Committee.

A risk-based approach is being used for gully clearance, with data collection to improve its effectiveness. The issue of flood risk in Goole, designated as a Rapid Flood Inundation Zone, was discussed, with development within this zone to be considered as part of the Local Plan item on 7 October 2026. Concerns were raised about the potential cumulative flooding impact and chalk aquifer contamination from numerous nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs). It was confirmed that hydraulic modelling assessments are a developer responsibility, but members suggested an independent assessment might be beneficial. Yorkshire and Humber Drainage Boards are working with a developer of a solar farm in Howdenshire Ward to manage drainage and flood risk.

The Sub-Committee agreed to defer pre-scrutiny of the Local Flood Risk Management Strategy and agreed that the amalgamation of drainage boards for efficiency be considered within the strategy. They recommended that the Council engage with Town and Parish Councils as partners on flood-related issues, launch an awareness-raising campaign on flooded highway safety, explore the viability of recuperating costs from third-party infrastructure failures leading to flooding, consider independent assessments of cumulative flood risk from NSIPs, request sufficient government funding for updated flood risk models, maintain a balance between maintenance and capital expenditure, and prioritise the mitigation of tidal flood risk.

Yorkshire Water and The Environment Agency

Reports were received from Yorkshire Water and The Environment Agency, presented by Adam Ashman and Tim Myatt from Yorkshire Water, and Paul Stockhill from the Environment Agency. The Environment Agency reported that the Living with Water partnership had achieved strong results, with over £20 million being invested in Hull and East Riding in 2026/2027 to manage flood risk. Yorkshire Water reported a capital investment of £990 million across Yorkshire in the first year of its asset management period, focusing on infrastructure improvements. They noted a 18.5% reduction in leakage, a 10.1% reduction in external sewer flooding incidents, and a decrease in combined sewer overflow discharges from 31 to 24 on average.

Discussions covered the level of government investment in local infrastructure, with a national challenge acknowledged. Joint working between the Environment Agency, the Council, and Drainage Boards to mitigate tidal flooding was highlighted, though additional funding is still required. Progress within the Humber 2100+ Partnership on tidal flood risk mitigation was noted as limited, with a need for a new approach and significant investment. The governance arrangements within the Yorkshire Regional Flood and Coastal Committee were altered to allow for greater technical discussions at a local level.

The issue of River Hull flooding due to previous engineering problems was discussed, with the Environment Agency's focus on people rather than land potentially deprioritising such issues. The creation of a flooding and water management hub was suggested. The Environment Agency's role as a statutory consultee on development applications was explained, with developers required to assess flood risk. Yorkshire Water provided a breakdown of customer bills, with approximately 60% relating to wastewater and drainage. The adoption process for unadopted infrastructure was discussed, with agreement reached to ensure increased communication between agencies. Concerns were raised about the disparity in figures for sewer charge incidents versus total discharge hours, with a suggestion for measurable targets for a reduction in discharge hours.

The Sub-Committee commended the continued partnership approach to flood risk management and agreed to note with regret the lack of progress within the Humber 2100+ Partnership, requesting sufficient government funding. They recommended that the Council and Environment Agency identify areas where government investment is insufficient, promote the importance of government investment in local flood-prevention schemes, adopt a proactive and co-ordinated approach to flood risk reduction, consider the creation of a Flooding and Water Management Partnership Hub, add unadopted infrastructure to the scope of a future Highways Infrastructure, Safety and Maintenance item, ensure customers entitled to reimbursement from Yorkshire Water receive funds promptly, and that Yorkshire Water implement clearly defined and measurable targets for sewer discharge volumetrics.

Environment and Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Committee Work Programme 2026/27

Due to time constraints, the discussion regarding the Sub-Committee's work programme was deferred to the next meeting on 7 October 2026. A briefing update was requested from the Senior Committee Manager. The Sub-Committee agreed to defer the item and receive the briefing update.

Forward Plan of Key Decisions

Similarly, due to time constraints, the discussion regarding the Forward Plan of Key Decisions was deferred to the next meeting on 7 October 2026. A briefing update was also requested for this item. The Sub-Committee agreed to defer the item and receive the briefing update.