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Children plant flood defence hedges to save homes

BBC Three people smiling at the camera while planting shrubs on the banks of the dyke. BBC
Councillor Jack Haines helped children plant shrubs on the banks of the dyke

Schoolchildren have been planting hedges as part of a Hull flood defence scheme.

Pupils from Appleton Primary School installed the shrubs along the banks of the Setting Dyke waterway on Tuesday.

Students also learnt about the wildlife that lives nearby, including water voles.

Councillor Jack Haines, portfolio holder for communities at Hull City Council, said: “It’s great that local school pupils can be part of a project that is so important when it comes to tackling flooding."

"We think this will have a lot of benefits for flood resilience and the homes around here. We're scarred from what happened in 2007, so this is about mending that one step at a time."

A young boy with blonde curly hair standing on the sides of the water dyke
Isaac, a student at Appleton Primary School, described the morning as "fun" and "educational"

Prior to the planting, the children had a series of talks from experts and informative sessions about the site and their project.

Isaac was one of the schoolchildren who took part in the planting.

"Planting trees is good for the environment because it pumps out oxygen," he said.

A small water dyke with children walking along the sides to plant shrubs which will act as flood defences
The drainage ditch carries water from East Yorkshire to a storage lagoon

The flood protection scheme will have a metal platform installed over it to allow people to clear small debris and litter, the council said.

Further measures include planting rushes and reeds to trap sediment and provide more space for higher flows of water.

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