Tadcaster Flood Defences Hailed as “Worth Their Weight in Gold” by Affected Dentist

A dentist whose practice has experienced recurrent flooding stated that a highly anticipated project designed to safeguard properties in a market town would be “worth its weight in gold”. Nicola Eades’s business, situated on Bridge Street in Tadcaster, has been severely impacted by floodwaters over the last 13 years. A public consultation has commenced following the submission of multimillion-pound proposals by the Environment Agency (EA) to North Yorkshire Council for the construction of these defences. Ms Eades commented that the initiative had “felt a long time coming” and expressed that she, along with numerous other town residents, “cannot wait for this to happen”. The EA indicated that construction on the elevated defences, which are planned to incorporate banks and stone steps, is projected to begin in spring 2025 and conclude by late 2026. Tadcaster experienced severe flooding during Christmas 2015, an event during which the engorged River Wharfe destroyed the town’s 18th-Century bridge. The town additionally endured flooding in both 2017 and 2022, occasions when the river breached existing defences and inundated the town centre. From the reception area of her dental practice, overlooking Bridge Street, Ms Eades recalled being “chest deep in water” within the premises. She described the experience, stating, “To have water rushing through your building is just horrific.” She added, “You get that flood warning now and the thoughts rewind back to 2015 and into 2016.” “They are certainly memories that I would love to erase, but it will be part of my life and my family’s life forever,” she concluded. Ms Eades noted that the insurance expenses for the building had been “astronomical” due to the inherent flooding risk. She stated, “We are lucky to have insurance for this year.” She further explained, “We only got it back just last year but with a great big excess.” David Gluck, who chairs the Tadcaster Flood Defence Alliance (TFDA), commented that the new defences would enable more businesses to secure insurance, thereby contributing to the occupation of many vacant properties on Bridge Street. He asserted: “There is no doubt about it, people will feel protected and safe again and every time the heavens open they will not think, ‘my shop, my house is going to flood’.” Kirsty Poskitt, a representative for Tadcaster on North Yorkshire Council, mentioned that discussions about the defence scheme have been ongoing since the 2015 flood. She remarked: “I’ve been there with these families who have faced hideous flooding and businesses who have lost their livelihoods.” “It has been a long time coming,” she added. She further emphasized: “It is not just about protecting properties, obviously that is the key thing, but it is also about the regeneration and economic survival of the town.” Nick Appleyard of the EA stated that advancing the scheme to its current stage had been “really challenging” due to several factors, such as funding limitations and the Covid pandemic. He commented: “The current project team came together mid-2022 and have made some significant progress over the past two years, with a really big, tangible milestone reached in the project.” He added: “We fully recognise that flooding has lingered over the town for far too long now and we’ve built a lot of relationships with those businesses, councillors and people around the town.”