GCSE · Geography · AQA · Spec 8035

UK flood management scheme example

Picture a flood defence. You probably imagined a big wall. Leeds built walls too, but the cleverest part of its scheme is something that moves.

A UK flood management scheme

Leeds: one river, three main elements

Showing 1 layer: Phase One

Explore

tap each part of the scheme

Phase One of the Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme cost £50 million and was led by Leeds City Council in partnership with the Environment Agency. It gives more than 3,000 homes, 500 businesses and 300 acres of development land increased protection against flooding from the River Aire and Hol Beck.

A simplified schematic, not to scale. The river flows from left to right.

Predict, then check

You've just met the two moveable weirs. Before you read on, commit to an answer.

High river flows are expected in Leeds. What happens to the new weir gates?

Why Leeds needed the scheme

Follow the story from the earlier works to the next phase. Open an event for more detail.

Social, economic or environmental?

Sort the scheme's effects

Pick an effect, then choose the kind of issue it is.

Still to sort

Social (0)

People and communities: their homes and how they get about.

Where the line is: A footbridge on a trail isn't environmental just because it's outdoors. It helps people get about, so it's social.

Economic (0)

Money, jobs and businesses.

Where the line is: Look at what the effect is. The £6 million came from reusing material that was dug out, but what it produced was money saved, so it's economic.

Environmental (0)

Wildlife, trees and the life of the river.

9 of 9 still to sort.

Check your thinking

So is Leeds safe from floods now?

Phase One of the Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme has opened, with its moveable weirs, merged river and canal, and 4.5 km of flood walls and embankments.

Which idea is closest to what you think right now?

Leeds won't flood any more: the scheme stops the river flooding.Phase One protects every community along the River Aire in Leeds.It lowers the risk of flooding, and how often and how badly floods hit, but it can't promise Leeds will never flood.

How sure are you?

I'm sureI think soI'm guessing

Leeds won't flood any more: the scheme stops the river flooding.

This is a common misconception

This is the big one to let go of. Flood management can't stop flooding. What it can do is reduce the risk, frequency and impact of floods. That's why Phase One is described as giving homes and businesses increased protection, not total protection.

Phase One protects every community along the River Aire in Leeds.

This is a common misconception

Not yet. Communities upstream of the city centre were still waiting: the consultation on Phase Two was about giving them increased flood protection. So Phase One didn't cover everyone.

It lowers the risk of flooding, and how often and how badly floods hit, but it can't promise Leeds will never flood.

This matches the evidence

Exactly right. Flood management reduces the risk, frequency and impact of floods, but it can't stop flooding. Phase One gives increased protection, and Phase Two was planned for communities upstream of the city centre.

A flood scheme reduces the risk, frequency and impact of flooding. It never makes a place flood-proof.

Your turn

Write it, then check it

Using the Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme as your example, explain why the scheme was needed, describe its management strategy, and give one social, one economic and one environmental issue. [8 marks]

Your answer

0 words · your answer stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.

The mark scheme

Why it was needed: Leeds had significant, widespread flooding in December 2015. (1 mark)
Detail of that flooding: some of the highest river levels ever recorded, or nearly 3,000 residential and 700 commercial properties affected. (1 mark)
Strategy: moveable weirs (at Crown Point and Knostrop). (1 mark)
Strategy: the river and canal merged by removing the man-made island, Knostrop Cut. (1 mark)
Strategy: flood walls and embankments, 4.5 km through the city centre. (1 mark)
A social issue: for example, the new footbridge reconnecting the Trans Pennine Trail, or homes given increased protection. (1 mark)
An economic issue: for example, more than 22,000 jobs safeguarded, 150 jobs and apprenticeships created, or around £6 million saved by reusing excavated material. (1 mark)
An environmental issue: for example, fish and eel passes at both weirs, otter ramps and holts, or 700 trees to be planted along the Trans Pennine Trail. (1 mark)

Model answer

The Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme was needed because in December 2015 Leeds had significant, widespread flooding, with some of the highest river levels ever recorded; nearly 3,000 residential and 700 commercial properties were affected. Phase One has three main elements: moveable weirs at Crown Point and Knostrop, the merging of the river and canal after the Knostrop Cut island was removed, and 4.5 km of flood walls and embankments through the city centre. Socially, a new footbridge reconnects the Trans Pennine Trail to the north bank. Economically, more than 22,000 jobs will be safeguarded over the next 10 years. Environmentally, fish and eel passes were installed at both weirs.

A strong case-study answer is specific: a date, a place name or a figure in every point, and each issue in the right category.

WHAT YOU'VE LEARNED

A quick recap of today's lesson.

Why Leeds needed it, what was built along the River Aire, and what it changed for people, money and wildlife.

What you need to know

Your named example: the Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme, Phase One, on the River Aire.
Why it was needed: significant, widespread flooding in December 2015.
What was built: moveable weirs, the river and canal merged, and flood walls and embankments.
What it changed: effects you can sort into social, economic and environmental.
The big idea: flood management reduces flood risk. It can't stop flooding.

The big picture

The Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme (Phase One) opened in October 2017, after significant flooding in December 2015. Its three main elements are moveable weirs, the merging of the river and canal, and 4.5 km of flood walls and embankments. Its effects can be sorted into social, economic and environmental issues. Like all flood management, it reduces flood risk rather than stopping flooding.

Key points

1Phase One of the Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme is a £50 million scheme led by Leeds City Council in partnership with the Environment Agency. It opened on 4 October 2017.

2It was needed after the December 2015 floods: some of the highest river levels ever recorded, with nearly 3,000 residential and 700 commercial properties affected.

3Its three main elements are moveable weirs at Crown Point and Knostrop, the merging of the river and canal, and 4.5 km of flood walls and embankments.

4Leeds was the first place in the UK to use moveable weirs for flood alleviation. Their gates are lowered when high river flows are expected, and thanks to these gates the flood walls could be kept as low as possible.

5Its issues are economic (jobs safeguarded and created, around £6 million saved), environmental (fish and eel passes, otter ramps and holts, trees) and social (a reconnected trail, homes better protected).

6Flood management reduces the risk, frequency and impact of floods, but it can't stop flooding. Communities upstream of the city centre were left for Phase Two.

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Worked example

Problem

A student writes: "The Leeds scheme was good for the environment because it helped salmon." Develop this into a detailed, accurate environmental point.

⚠ Watch out

Describing the Leeds scheme as just "flood walls". Its strategy has three main elements: moveable weirs, the merging of the river and canal, and flood walls and embankments.

🧠

Memory hook

Weirs, Merge, Walls. The weir gates go DOWN in high flows, and thanks to them the walls could stay LOW.

✓

Check yourself

Without looking: where are the two moveable weirs, what happens to their gates when high flows are expected, and what did removing Knostrop Cut change?

Flashcards

(14)

What happened in Leeds in December 2015?

Significant, widespread flooding, with some of the highest river levels ever recorded.

How many properties did the December 2015 flooding in Leeds affect?

Nearly 3,000 residential properties and 700 commercial properties.

What are the three main elements of the Leeds scheme?

Moveable weirs, the merging of the river and canal, and flood walls and embankments.

Where are the scheme's two moveable weirs?

Crown Point, in the city centre, and Knostrop, further downstream.

Why were the Leeds weirs a UK first?

It was the first time moveable weirs had been used in the UK for flood alleviation.

What happens to the weir gates when high river flows are expected?

They are lowered. They are supported by giant inflatable neoprene bladders and take around two hours to lower.

What did the weir gates make possible for the flood walls?

Wall heights could be kept to a minimum, so they don't spoil views of the city-centre waterfront.

What was Knostrop Cut, and why was it removed?

A man-made island separating the canal and the river. It was removed to improve a bottleneck for flows.

How much did Phase One cost, and who led it?

£50 million. It was led by Leeds City Council in partnership with the Environment Agency.

What does Phase One give increased protection to?

More than 3,000 homes, 500 businesses and 300 acres of development land, against flooding from the River Aire and Hol Beck.

Give the scheme's jobs figures.

More than 22,000 jobs safeguarded over the next 10 years, and 150 jobs and apprenticeships created during development and construction.

How did reusing excavated material help the scheme?

180,000 tonnes were reused on a local development site and on diverting the Trans Pennine Trail, saving around £6 million.

Apart from fish and eel passes, name two environmental features of the scheme.

Otter ramps and holts, and 700 trees to be planted along the Trans Pennine Trail.

Who was Phase Two meant to protect?

Communities upstream of the city centre. The proposals included the Kirkstall corridor and Stourton.

Tap any card to flip it, or use Study as deck to go through them one at a time. In the full lesson these run as a spaced-repetition deck — you rate each card Hard, Good or Easy and the tricky ones keep coming back until they stick.

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Sort the scheme's effects

So is Leeds safe from floods now?

Write it, then check it

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