Bradford to host major conference on floods (From Keighley News)

Experts from around Europe to attend event

9:00am Wednesday 6th February 2013 in News By Jo Winrow, City Hall Reporter

Bradford is to host a major conference with around 150 delegates from across Europe gathering to discuss how to combat the risk of flooding in urban areas.

The three-day event will involve representatives from eight European cities and two universities sharing their knowledge on ways to help people living in urban areas at risk from the effects of flooding.

It will mark the end of the EU-funded FloodResilienCity (FRC) project which was established to integrate an increasing demand for more houses and other buildings in urban areas with the need for better flood risk management measures in North-West European cities.

Bradford was chosen to take part along with Brussels and Leuven in Belgium, Dublin, Mainz in Germany, Paris and Orleans in France, and the Dutch city Nijmegen. Academics from the University of Sheffield and the City of Paris Engineering School are also involved.

The event in May will consist of a three-day conference of politicians, public authority officers, academics, professionals and other invited guests.

Councillor Val Slater, Bradford Council executive member for housing, planning, and transport, said: “Bradford is happy to host this event which is designed to develop integrated, adaptable and flexible solutions to the problem of flood risk management. I am sure our partners in the project can help the people of Bradford by sharing expertise.”

Around 28,000 inhabitants of the Bradford district are at risk of flooding. As part of the FRC project, Bradford Council experts are working on methods to map flood risk.

The work follows on from the city hosting the National Flood Forum in 2006 where Council officers were able to pass on their expertise following devastating floods across the district in 2000. The rivers Aire and Worth burst their banks, hitting Stockbridge at Keighley worst. People were also forced from their homes in Bingley, Menston, Baildon and Skipton.

The existing flood defences were inadequate to cope with one of the wettest autumns on record.

The conference will take place at different venues including City Hall and National Media Museum, from May 13 to 15.