1. Flooding in South Yorkshire

3. Click on the stars to see the effects

4. Salvage yard in Adwick-le-Street, Doncaster.
(BBC News Website)

5. Flooding in Bentley and Toll Bar in South Yorkshire.
(BBC News Website)

6. Taking defensive action in Barnby Dun South Yorkshire.
(BBC News Website)

7. B A D C

8. Brief
Given the extent of the flooding that hit South Yorkshire, measures will need to be taken to defend local residents and businesses in the future in case of a repeat of the flooding.
The new Secretary of State for the Environment, Hillary Benn, has commissioned you to produce a report into the steps that can be taken to reduce the impact of any future flooding
Your report should focus on two key areas:
1. Flood prevention – what can be done to stop rivers, streams and becks from flooding?
2. Flood protection – what can be done to protect homes and business premises from being flooded if rivers burst their banks?

9. Flood Prevention
Your report is to focus on the catchment of the river Don. This river rises in the Pennine hills to the NW of Sheffield and falls rapidly through the eastern slopes of these hills and the Industrial city of Sheffield. Within 40 miles of its source it enters a large flat floodplain that stretches from Rotherham in the west all the way to the Goole and the Humber Estuary.
The area around Sheffield was struck by rapid ‘flash’ flooding that saw the river Don rise more than six feet above its normal levels. The city was cut in half and thousands of homes and businesses suffered millions of pounds worth of damage, 2 people were drowned. However the river returned within its banks in less than 24 hours.
In the East around Rotherham and Doncaster the river was slower to rise, taking several days to flood. Unfortunately the flooding lasted many days with hundreds of families forced to evacuate their homes and stay in temporary emergency shelters ion local schools and leisure centres.
Your report should detail what steps the government, local councils and land owners could take to help reduce the risk of the River Don bursting its banks in the future and causing similar chaos as seen on Mon 25th June 2007

10. Flood Protection
4 sites (A,B,C & D) in and around the Toll Bar area close to Doncaster, S Yorkshire have been identified by Mr Benn. The Secretary of State wishes you to recommend a variety of appropriate techniques that households and business could adopt to prevent a recurrence of the damage the recent floods brought.

11. Site A – residential property for a family of 4 in the village of Toll Bar
Site B – mixed arable farm of 125 acres in Thorpe in Balne, 120 cattle, 300 sheep and growing a mixture of Wheat and Peas
Site C – Scrap yard and vehicle wreckers employing 5 people in the Long Sandall area of Bentley
Site D – High tech computer aided design business handling millions of pounds of business and employing 78 local people

12. Useful websites include:
Don’t forget this is not an exclusive list, you are free to explore the internet and find relevant information of your own

13. The finished report, that can contain images, maps and illustrations, should be ed to this address:
Until you receive a receipt telling you that your report has arrived with Mr Calderbank (Mr Benns private secretary) you should assume that the work has not been submitted and therefore you may be liable to a considerable fine!
The best report(s) will be eligible for further consideration by the Environment Select Committee chaired by Miss Marshall and may receive recommendation for implementation that brings with it the potential of further, lucrative rewards!