Managing Flood Risk in Wharfedale: Community Drop-In Event

The council is hosting a drop-in event at Wetherby Town Hall on Monday 20 September from 3pm to 7pm, where officers will be on-hand to discuss a number of potential options for schemes to reduce flood risk in the middle Wharfe catchment.

Severe flooding has affected areas including Collingham, Wetherby, Thorp Arch, Boston Spa and Linton in recent years, and Leeds City Council and the Environment Agency have been working in partnership to develop options to help reduce the risk of flooding in these areas.

The options include new flood defence embankments to protect properties at high risk, removal of bushes, trees and other obstacles in the river to improve its flow, removing weirs that are not working effectively, water storage creation upstream, and tree planting as part of natural flood management.

The options have been developed following modelling and testing work with support from the Environment Agency and the previous round of public consultation in 2020. Following the drop-in events, the Council will be undertaking further feasibility studies and working to identify funding opportunities, which will determine which of the schemes can be delivered.

Officers will also be able to provide advice to property owners and private land owners regarding protective measures they can take to protect their homes, buildings and land.

Cllr Helen Hayden, Leeds City Council’s Executive member for Infrastructure and Climate, said: “Our teams have undertaken a significant amount of work alongside the Environment Agency to develop these options to reduce flood risk in the Wharfedale area.

“Although there is still much to do before any of the schemes can be finalised, we believe it is important that we bring the local community up-to-speed with our progress and gather any further views and feedback that will inform our work as we develop the schemes further.

There will also be a ‘virtual drop-in session’ hosted on Microsoft Teams on Tuesday 21 September between 1pm and 3pm, where members of the team will be available to discuss the project and answer any queries. You can join the meeting by clicking here.

You can also contact the Flood Risk Management Team on 01133787304 or frm@leeds.gov.uk.

More information can be found at: https://www.leeds.gov.uk/emergencies/flooding-advice/how-were-reducing-the-risk-of-flooding/flood-defence-options-in-wharfedale

If your home or business is at risk of flooding, you can sign up for free flood warnings from the Environment Agency. Register to receive alerts by phone, text, or email by calling Floodline on 0345 988 1188, or visiting https://flood-warning-information.service.gov.uk/warnings