'˜Abject failure' claim over floods protection funding in Leeds

Leeds West Labour MP Rachel Reeves said more needed to be done to protect homes and businesses from the kind of devastating floods seen in the Kirkstall area of her constituency after Eva hit three years ago.

Leeds City Council and the Environment Agency are set to start work next year on the second phase of the Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme, which will deliver improved defences in Kirkstall as well as places along the River Aire to its upper catchment.

The Government has made around £65m available for the scheme – but a funding gap of £18.6m needs to be bridged before it offers the one-in-200-year level of protection wanted by council bosses.

Ms Reeves said: “While the city council’s anti-flood proposals are welcome, the Government is risking people’s homes and businesses by failing to release the necessary funds to ensure proper protection against a repeat of those devastating floods.

“They are guilty of abject and unacceptable failure when it comes to properly protecting the city, its residents and businesses.”

Council bosses have also called for further funds for the Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme – but they are stressing that work designed to shore up the city against another Storm Eva has already achieved significant results.

Smaller-scale projects completed to date include the construction of a bypass culvert and new watercourse in Allerton Bywater and the expansion of an existing flood storage area in Garforth.

Flood prevention schemes for places such as Otley and Mickletown are also being developed with the support of engineering consultants WSP.

And, at the council’s final executive board meeting before Christmas, members approved the investment of £3.15m in a project that aims to provide improved flood risk management in the Wyke Beck Valley area of east Leeds.

Executive member for regeneration, transport and planning Coun Richard Lewis said: “Working with our partners and stakeholders we have done well to make considerable progress on measures to protect our city and communities, taking different approaches and a range of projects from very large scale to smaller works to manage and improve water flows.

“The Wyke Beck scheme reflects this strategy perfectly, with an imaginative approach to reducing flood risk also having massive potential to open up parts of east Leeds for regeneration to provide much-needed new housing.”

Phase one of the Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme – which put new defences in place in the city centre and Woodlesford – was completed in 2017.

Responding to Ms Reeves’ comments, a spokeswoman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: “The 2015 Boxing Day floods are a devastating reminder of the damage flooding can cause, which is why we are already investing heavily to provide better flood protection for the city.

“Since the floods, we have invested more than £30m in a scheme to better protect the city centre and a further £65m for a second phase to protect a wider area including Kirkstall Road.”

Work to protect more than 2,000 homes and 1,000 businesses in the Colne Valley and Calder Valley from flooding is due to get under way next month, it was announced today.

The Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership and West Yorkshire Combined Authority have approved £1.3m of funding for a project designed to give new peace of mind to people in communities such as Todmorden, Hebden Bridge and Marsden.

Calderdale Council leader Coun Tim Swift said: “This flood alleviation scheme will not only help prevent the devastating impact of flooding on our local communities and economy, it will also create improved habitats that wildlife and local people can all enjoy.”

Work on the project is scheduled for completion at the end of 2020.