Tag Archives: Yorkshire Water

Community Fund – Yorkshire Water Waste Water Treatment Works

GRANTS from £100 – £5,000 will be made available for community projects under Yorkshire Water’s proposed new Community Fund being established to benefit Hedon, Preston, Paull and the Marfleet area of East Hull.

The first meeting to discuss the new Community Fund and establish the decision-making Committee took place last night at the Saltend Waste Water Treatment Works. While the fine details of the criteria are still being considered, the outline of the new funding stream has been agreed:

  • £50,000 will be dispensed in grants over two years – £25,000 per year (running from April – March each year).
  • Minimum grant £100 – Maximum grant £5,000.
  • Organisations will be encouraged to apply for projects that can demonstrate that they benefit people living in the following post code areas – HU9 5, HU9 4, HU12 8, HU12 9, HU11 4.
  • Grants will not be given for salaries or ongoing running costs of a project.
  • Parish and Town Councils will be excluded from applying.
  • Projects must be able to demonstrate some long-lasting benefit to communities i.e. applications for one-off events would not be supported.
  • For those groups asking for larger grants, then preference will be given to projects that also bring in additional funding from other sources. 
  • Funding ’rounds’ will be established with clear deadlines for when applications should be submitted. Each round will be 6-weeks long during which groups will be invited to make applications.

The meeting facilitated by the Yorkshire Water Community Engagement Team, was attended by Councillors from East Riding Council (South West Holderness Ward), Hedon Town Council, Preston Parish Council and Paull Parish Council. Councillors from the Hull City Council (Marfleet Ward) had been invited but did not attend. These Councillors will form the main membership of the decision-making Committee. East Riding Councillor Mike Bryan was elected its Chair. 

The Committee will meet again on the 28th May to consider the details of the criteria which will determine how applications are assessed and the guidance that will be given to those applying for funding.

The first round of the new Community Fund is not likely to be open for applications until June 2012. However, groups that already have an idea for a project can send a brief outline as an expression an interest, to Dafydd Williams from Yorkshire Water’s Community Engagement Team at e-mail: dafydd.williams@yorkshirewater.co.uk and further information and application packs can be sent out when available if applicable.

Hedon Blog Statement – Yorkshire Water Community Fund

FOLLOWING the announcement yesterday that Yorkshire Water are to put in place a £50,000 Community Fund then the Blog has received lots of questions and opinions about the fund. This debate will continue to be reflected on these pages.

A meeting at the Waste Water Treatment Works (which is not a public meeting) takes place on Monday 30th April 2012 to discuss the criteria for the new fund. This meeting will discuss the terms of reference and appraisal procedure for applications to the new fund – as well as discussing how to advertise and promote the fund to potential bidders.

Invited to the meeting are ten people:

  • East Riding Councillors Mike Bryan, John Dennis, Ann Sugitt (South West Holderness Ward)
  • Hull City Councillors Sean Chaytor, Rosemary Pantelakis, Sheila Waudby (Marfleet Ward)
  • Hedon Town Council: Sarah Jordan
  • Preston Parish Council (South): Barbara Mendham
  • Andy Dickinson
  • Ray Duffill

I have been invited to the meeting representing the Hedon Blog. I have discussed this with a member of the Community Engagement Team at Yorkshire Water and I feel the Blog has a role to play in helping to promote the new Community Fund and encouraging applications

The Hedon Blog will be able to offer tips and advice to those applying for funding. It can also report back on the decisions reached by the funding panel.

I have previously been involved in managing similar Community Chest grant programmes whilst working for Hull Community Development, City of York Council and within the voluntary sector. So I think I have some experience to offer the Panel.

However, I will not be sitting as a Panel Member or involved in decision-making on applications.

The Hedon Blog – in co-operation with Yorkshire Water – will aim to give a full report from the meeting held on the 30th April.

Ray Duffill, Editor, Hedon Blog and HU12 Online

Yorkshire Water announces £50,000 Community Fund

YORKSHIRE WATER have today announced that a £50,000 Community Fund will be put in place to compensate for the problem odours that have impacted on residents during the last few years from the Waste Water Treatment Works at Saltend.

Richard Sears, Community Engagement Manager for Yorkshire Water, said: “We know that for some years the local community put up with intermittent odours from the site and we recognise that this was clearly unacceptable. Since last summer, we’ve done a huge amount of work to reduce odours at the site, including installing a state-of-the-art odour control unit which we believe will significantly help to reduce any excessive odours from the site.

“We want to be a good neighbour and this trust fund underlines our commitment to working alongside the local community and doing what we can to give something back through this £50,000 cash fund.”

A local panel is being set up which will have the final say on projects and causes that will benefit from the Community Fund. It is understood that local councillors from South West Holderness and East Hull will make up the majority of the 10-strong panel who will be meeting on the 30th April to determine ground-rules for how the fund will be operated and criteria for bidding for a share of the cash.

For the complete press release from Yorkshire Water see the article Community Fund to say ‘Sorry’ on HU12 Online.

Community Fund to compensate for Yorkshire Water smells?

YORKSHIRE WATER has hinted at plans to establish a ‘Community Fund’ as a way of compensating local residents for problems caused by the smells from the Waste Water Treatment Works at Saltend.

In the Hull Daily Mail yesterday Yorkshire Water’s Matt Thompson was quoted as saying:

Matt Thompson - Water in-water out

Matt Thompson

“We are keenly aware that we have had to rely on the patience and understanding of local residents for a number of years on this matter. We have therefore agreed, as a gesture of goodwill to the local community, to create a community fund to help support local projects that benefit the Hedon and Preston neighbourhood. We hope it will be administered by a community liaison panel made up of councillors and local community groups.”

The idea of a ‘Community Chest’ was first mooted by Councillor John Dennis last year. On the 5th August 2011, he and fellow ward Councillor Mike Bryan met with Yorkshire Water about the offensive smells (Councillor Ann Suggit was away at the time). Councillor Dennis commented about the meeting on the Hedon Blog:

“As arranged at that first meeting, I will be holding discussions with YW’s head of communications in the expectation of securing some form of compensation package for the local community. It would surely not be unreasonable for us to expect them to come up with a positive, tangible gesture to show how sorry they really are!”

And yesterday he commented on the latest news: “I had suggested some form of Community Chest into which local communities might be able to dip for valid local projects. Parishes have always got something they would like financial help with – village hall improvements and re-builds etc. Hedon is having lots of problems with the Horsewell Pond which no longer holds water. They are the sort of project I would envisage being able to qualify for consideration, however we’ll have to wait and see what’s on the table. I look forward with great interest to hear how it will work, and how much it will actually contain. I hope there are plenty of noughts in the figure!”

The idea of a Community Fund would seem to be a good idea. Local community and environmental projects could obviously benefit from such a fund. Although some residents would have liked to have seen the compensation represented in the form of lower water bills! However, as Councillor Dennis says, it will be interesting to see how many noughts there are in the figure! Enough noughts, and perhaps the ‘pot’ could be used to attract further funding!

The idea of a Community Liaison Panel to administer the fund with community group representation is also a positive suggestion. In fact something like this might be an opportunity to bring local community groups together to make project suggestions and nominate panel members.

The Yorkshire Water smells brought communities together in anger. Perhaps a Community Fund can bring them together to make things better!?

Odour Control Unit now ‘live’ at Waste Water Treatment Works

wordle on Yorkshire Water and Smells

Perhaps Yorkshire Water's association with Smells is about to end?

YORKSHIRE WATER confirmed today that the new £3.5m odour control unit at their Saltend Treatment Works is now “up and running”.

Richard Sears, community engagement manager at Yorkshire Water,said:

“After months of hard work, we’re pleased to say we’re now in a position where we have this huge state-of-the-art unit up and running, just as we had scheduled.

 ”We know that for some years the local community has put up with intermittent odours from the site and this is clearly unacceptable. And whilst there is always likely to be some odour owing to the operational nature of the site, we’re confident that with this unit, which is the biggest in the region, will help to significantly reduce odours, ensuring they remain within guideline levels.”

 Yorkshire Water is committed to engaging closely with communities in Hedon and Paull to ensure everyone is kept up to speed. For a full copy of the News Release by Yorkshire Water see HU12 Online…

Comment: The Hedon Blog hopes that the current measures are enough to make problem odours a thing of the past and prevent the situation that happened in summer 2011 from ever happening again. The comments made on our Wall of Shame should serve as a reminder to the water company of the anger that would be unleashed if they get this wrong!

Work begins on Inmans in Hedon to reduce flood risk

Hedon Flood Tests photo

Hedon Flood Tests - September 2010

WORK STARTS on Monday 14th November 2011 which aims to reduce the risk of flooding in Hedon. 

The project, jointly funded by Yorkshire Water and East Riding Council, with support from Hedon Town Council, will see the installation of pump apparatus, including permanent buried pipe-work, valve gear and hard standing for temporary pumps to be situated, within the Greville Road Playing Fields on Inmans Estate.

During the floods of 2000 and 2007, drainage systems on Inmans were unable to discharge to the nearby Burstwick Drain due to high water levels in the drain and on both of these occasions it was necessary to deploy temporary pumps which were difficult to install and blocked residents’ access.

Gary Collins, flood project engineer at Yorkshire Water, said: “Tackling flooding is a major focus for us, with the company currently investing £120 million to play our part in flood alleviation across the region. However, no one organisation can tackle the problem by itself, which is why we’re working alongside local councils and the Environment Agency, with this latest project in Hedon being a great example of this approach.”

Councillor Chris Matthews, cabinet portfolio holder for highways and emergency planning at East Riding Council, and who also represents the authority on the Yorkshire Regional Flood Defence Committee, said: “The council takes flood risk very seriously and has invested millions in more than 100 projects to help reduce the flood risk to many homes across the East Riding. Historically, flooding in Hedon has largely been down to the drainage system being unable to cope with high volumes of water. The works now being undertaken by the council and Yorkshire Water will allow for a faster deployment of pumps should they be required in the future.”

Work to alleviate flood risks on Inmans have been the subject of some debate in the town and on the Hedon Blog.

New odour control unit being tested

£3.5m Odour Control Unit - construction complete

THE LATEST PHOTO from Yorkshire Water shows the newly constructed £3.5m Odour Control Unit at Saltend. Trials of the new unit are now taking place to ensure that everything is working as expected.

Richard Sears, the Water Company’s community engagement manager, said “We’re delighted to now be in position where we’re testing the new odour control unit at the site ahead of schedule, with a view to having it up and running by the beginning of December. “

The firm installing the unit are engineering specialists Morgan Sindall. It believes that the unit will help to reduce odours from the site and early test results support this belief with no hydrogen sulphide being detected from the chimney. Hydrogen sulphide is the gas that gives off the familiar ‘rotten egg’ smell.

The new unit takes air from the sludge processing part of the site – typically the source of most smells – and treats it using Turkish pumice stone infused with odour-eating bacteria.

In addition to the new unit, Yorkshire Water says that it is closely monitoring daily processes with industry experts and leading scientists.

Pro-active measures to safeguard against offensive odours from Saltend

SALTEND SMELLS - Update from Environment and Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Committee held today:

The council have been reacting to complaints – but now we will put measures in place to pro-actively address the issue of odours!” 

This was the pledge made by a council officer at today’s meeting which looked at the East Riding Council’s response to the issue of foul smells from Yorkshire Water’s Waste Water Treatment Works.

Rather than waiting to see if there are any complaints about smells during – for example – the pea-harvest season next summer, the council will be actively monitoring and ‘sniffing’ them out. This may involve having an officer present in Hedon everyday during July 2012 to be a point of contact for residents – and undoubtedly to be the ‘official nose’. And, as Councillor John Dennis has suggested, residents could be sent pre-printed diary forms to record any smelly experiences with comments, dates, times and places.

Yorkshire Water Odour Control Unit -'major change'

Yorkshire Water have also expressed a desire to act in a pro-active way on their odour problems by developing a new ‘odour management plan’. They maintain that the new odour control unit will result in major change, but additionally they are investing in new processes that will see ‘peak loads’ (of sewage) being predicted and treated to avoid odour incidents.

Chairman of the Committee John Wilkinson said that the Report was a “very positive response” to the odour issues – but reiterated that if future evidence of odours was found, or provided by residents, then the council would use all its powers to hold Yorkshire Water to account.

Ann Suggit as Ward Councillor summed up the views of many residents as she spoke directly to Yorkshire Water: “We are holding our breath for improvements. We’ve had a hell of a time with this over the last 11 years. If there are further problems you can guarantee we will be in touch.”