York flooding: Fly-by minister finds a bridge over very troubled water

Liz Truss, the Environment Secretary, stood at the Foss Barrier in York, as she had done earlier at Tadcaster’s fallen bridge 18 miles away – cynics might suggest for the purposes of having her picture taken by her press officer – and then spoke to the television cameras, with the devastation of the floods as a backdrop.

David Cameron turned up two days ago, and residents are not short on tales of the complex series of road closures that were put in place seemingly to prevent anyone getting anywhere near him.

At least Ms Truss had the decency to stand in front of a bridge that had been demolished, however, and a flood barrier that had been deliberately lowered, and declare that something must be done.

The decision to lower the barrier, and flood whole roads of cars without telling their owners they might wish to move them, had been made by the Environment Agency while its chief executive was on holiday at his villa in Barbados. Sir Philip Dilley was back yesterday, with his agency claiming he would visit Yorkshire but refusing to say where exactly. He was not spotted in York. Just as well.

These floods, we are told, are unprecedented, but the people of York are no strangers to the rising river. For many here, what makes these floods unprecedented is the sense that some of the worst of the damage has been wrought not by nature, but as a result of man-made decisions.

“Normally the floods round York are handled pretty well. We had floods here in 2000, and in 2012,” said Harry Cooke, an IT manager at a local law firm. He is in his early thirties, and has lived in York all his life. “This was exceptional because it was the River Foss as well as the Ouse.”

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The opening of the Foss Barrier, the defences that usually keep York’s second river in check, caused several parts of the town that would otherwise have stayed dry to flood. It was by no means an indefensible decision. But the lack of the communication has angered many. “Nobody was told that decision had been taken,” said Mr Cooke. “Whole rows of cars ended up underwater, and if their owners had known they could have driven them away, and parked them elsewhere. People are extremely angry.”

A spokesman for the Environment Agency however maintained York residents were warned in advance.

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Mr Cooke added: “These floods are not just about the rain. There are all sorts of things that contribute to this. Do we need more trees in wooded areas? Should we be dredging the rivers?

As is now well known, while the head of the Environment Agency was on holiday his villa in Barbados, his department made a decision that, faced with such high levels of water, it would have to open the Foss Barrier, the defences that usually keep York’s second river in check. It caused several parts of the town that would otherwise have stayed dry, to flood.

It was by no means an indefensible decision. Only a few weeks ago, Carlisle’s flood barriers were keeping the water in, not out, making the damage worse.

“It’s not about just pointing the finger after the event, but somebody has to take responsibility. Is it York Council? The Environment Agency? Central government? Who is going to take responsibility? Who will say, ‘We will solve this problem?’”