New Leeds flood plan approved

Leeds City Council has approved an updated Local Flood Risk Management Strategy for the city as well as a £3m scheme to promote housing growth.

The previous version of the strategy was developed in 2012 and adopted by the council in March 2014.

Over the last six years Leeds has suffered a number of extreme floods, the most notable being the floods at Christmas 2015 caused by the impact of Storm Eva, which affected 3,355 properties with a direct cost to the city of an estimated £36.8m.

The council says the updated stategy focuses on all potential sources of flooding and how they are being managed, as well as community engagement and awareness and emergency planning.

All the work in Leeds is undertaken by Leeds City Council, the Environment Agency, Yorkshire Water, Highways England and Ainsty Internal Draining Board.

The biggest project currently underway in the city is the Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme, which saw the £50m phase one completed last year with measures in the city centre and Woodlesford including the use of state-of-the-art moveable weirs to control the flow of the River Aire.

The approved £3m project includes the creation of a flood alleviation scheme at Killingbeck Fields where 1000 homes are set to be built, which would operate as a flood storage area and green space for the public.

Leeds City Council executive member for regeneration, transport and planning Councillor Richard Lewis said: ‘As we come up on the three-year anniversary of the devastation caused by Storm Eva, the city knows all too well the threat caused by flooding which is increasing due to climate change and the frequency of extreme weather.

‘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.’