Carmen: 300 word story

Flood risk concern: Wychcroft Campaign

 

CAMPAIGNING residents are concerned about the risk of flooding in the Magdalen Lane area if a housing development is permitted at Wychcroft are happy that their appeal to ‘crowd fund’ an independent engineering consultant is gaining support with £500 being pledged towards the estimated £1,000 needed.

A Planning Application for permission to build 28 homes on Wychcroft, Hedon was refused by the East Riding of Yorkshire Council in December 2015. However, the Applicant of Birstall May Ltd has now lodged an appeal with the Planning Inspectorate against East Riding Council’s refusal.

Margaret Murray, who is one of the residents leading the campaign group said that they dispute some of the information in the original planning application about flood levels in 2007. “Photographs taken at the time show how much water levels rose in 2007 and these levels have not been adequately reflected in the planning documentation. The Planning Application submitted includes a sophisticated flood alleviation plan which is claimed to avert the possibility of flooding caused by the development. This is what we dispute most strongly.”

Residents say that they were flooded out in the big flood of 2007 with disruption to normal life lasting for up to a year,  they fear building on Wychcroft is going to remove the natural flood plain increasing the flood risk to local residents, which could be a disaster for all involved.

The residents have launched a financial appeal to employ an independent engineering consultant to review the proposed flood alleviation scheme. “This crowd-funded appeal for around £1,000 has been successful in raising over half the amount in pledges,” said Mrs. Murray on Saturday (14th May 2016).

500 Word news story

Hull Help for Refugees.

A self entitled grassroots collective of individuals from and around Hull and East Riding have taken it upon themselves to form the Hull Help for Refugees group to provide supplies and give aid to those in Calais, France.(Their Facebook page photo.)

With the state of the current refugee crisis, there are many refugees who have escaped to Calais, France. There are now 5,000 migrants in Calais, the French authorities have estimated. Many are living in a makeshift camp known as “The Jungle”. The numbers have risen significantly. Only in December, the Home Affairs Committee estimated there were 2,500 migrants in the port – up from 1,300 in September. The refugees come from Somalia, Sudan, Eritrea and Syria. Many of these people are so desperate to leave the horrific conditions living in their country means, they pay thousands to people smugglers to get to Europe. Some 150,000 people crossed the Mediterranean illegally in the first sic months o the year. And according to the Head of Boarder Force 39,000 people were stopped attempting to cross the channel illegally in 2014/15.

So in the light of these new events a collection of individuals who wish to aid refugees in the current humanitarian crisis and provide support for other destitute people have risen to the call and provide as much of themselves as they can to aid. This involves some of the dedicated volunteers entering the jungle in Calais in response to the French authorities choice to leave 2,000 refugees without shelter or food. This decision by the authorities was not unnoticed by the local group and immediately announced they would be collecting and needing volunteers for the trip over to Calais. They posted this plea on Facebook .”If you have already volunteered in the past with Help Refugees / L’Auberge Des Migrants and are familiar with the camp we would like your help please. If you can go to Calais the next week, and can spend 3 days or more there.” A member of the group Martin is one who will be travelling to Calais, as his building skills will be necessary to build temporary shelter. Shelter is immediately needed as the nights in France grow colder with the Winter season. They also acquired a van to load with supplies such as winter coats, wind up lamps, camping equipment and food. The volunteers will stay there for two weeks to get as much building and give as much resources as they can, hopefully providing some of the Hull spirit as they do so.

The group also held boot sales and cake mornings to raise money for the refugees in Calais before Christmas, their jumble sales were very effective as they raised a total of £900 in two weeks of fundraising! Their popular Facebook page Hull Help for Refugees that has already over 2,000 likes and followers. Their posts are inspiring and humbling with the work they have done displayed throughout their page, you can feel a sense of pride in your locals that you might not have in a while.