LEEDS is increasingly struggling to cope with heavy rainstorms that have a nasty habit of turning into flash floods.
Now scientists at Leeds University have come up with an explanation.
They blame the trend for paving over front gardens which means there is simply nowhere for the water to go.
The result is that an already strained drainage system becomes disa
strously overburdened.
And that leads to misery for homeowners who are left helpless as floodwaters fill their homes.
In the last 30 years it's estimated that the worst-affected areas have seen the proportion of paved drives and similar surfaces increase by 13 per cent.
Now the council is carrying out a city-wide audit to measure exactly how much green space there is left in the city.
The fact is that our world is changing and even the smallest of factors must be taken into account.
Stopping people from doing what they want with their gardens is probably a step too far.
But it has to be hoped that responsible homeowners will in future think twice before putting down that block paving.
One thing is for sure.
In future, every new development must be subject to the most stringent of controls in order to minimise its impact.
City planners can't say they haven't been warned.
Daily miraclesTOO often the NHS hits the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
So our story about tiny Isla McMillan is a timely reminder of the amazing work carried out every day by our dedicated doctors and nurses.
Little Isla was born 14 weeks premature and weighing 2lbs 4ozs.
Her chances of survival were slim, yet medics at St James's Hospital never gave up.
A year on and Isla is a happy little girl with a bright future ahead of her.
Now her mum and dad are saying thank you by raising money for Jimmy's with a charity football match.
Why not go along and show your support.
It would be a great way to show our own gratitude for the miracles performed each and every day by those who staff our city's hospitals.
Well deservedTHE latest names to be added to the Leeds roll of honour share one thing in common.
Each of them has helped change the lives of others for the better.
By doing so they have made a contribution to the city, one that deserves the recognition they are now receiving.
Well done – and thank you – to them all.
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