Storm Darragh: Chancellor responds to flooding in Leeds after 'difficult 24 hours' of travel disruption

Heavy downpours caused major disruption across the city last night (December 5), as trains were cancelled and pictures showing cars stuck in traffic with huge pools of water collecting on Kirkstall Road.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who also serves as the MP for Leeds West and Pudsey, confirmed that work to address concerns would take place in partnership with the local authority following a “difficult 24 hours”.

The flooding came just two weeks after a new state-of-the-art flood defence scheme was unveiled at a cost of £200m in a project led by Leeds City Council and the Environment Agency. Both authorities have been approached for comment.

“It has been a difficult 24 hours with the disruption to transport infrastructure, so we will work with the council to get a grip on some of these challenges,” said Mrs Reeves.

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Trains between Leeds and Wakefield were cancelled during the deluge last night, with disruption across the network continuing into today. Footage shared on social media showed major roads in Moortown, Horsforth and Ireland Wood also hit by floods.

It followed the devastating Boxing Day floods of 2015, which left swathes of Leeds underwater and caused £36m worth of damage to homes and businesses. The Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme was built as a direct response to that disaster.

Mrs Reeves said that the scenes reported overnight were not as catastrophic as the damage seen previously. She said: “If you compare it to what happened in 2015, that was devastating for Kirkstall and further down the river towards Leeds city centre.

“We haven’t had that sort of experience again this time.”

Katie White, the Labour MP for Leeds North West, said that leaders would look into the causes of the flooding.

She said: “That flood scheme is for a one in 200 year event, so we’re looking at exactly what the reasons were for why that happened. We're making sure that we’re working with councillors to see what we can do to support residents in their time of need.”

Mrs White added: “The Flood Alleviation Scheme that was opened the other week is a pioneering thing. And the National Wealth Fund, with its expanded remit, will look at some more resilience projects.

“Flooding has a terrible impact on people. That is the first thing we worry about. But it also has a huge impact on business and the economy. We need to make sure that we’re protecting ourselves. As a country, we need to invest in our future.”

Leeds City Council has been contacted for comment.