Leeds must wait at least five years to get adaquate flood defences

Homes and businesses in Leeds could be forced to wait another five years before they get 'adequate' flood protection, it is feared.
Aerial picture over the Kirkstall Road area of Leeds, West  Yorkshire, where flooding occurred after the monumental amount of rain has caused the river Aire to burst its banks.Aerial picture over the Kirkstall Road area of Leeds, West  Yorkshire, where flooding occurred after the monumental amount of rain has caused the river Aire to burst its banks.
Aerial picture over the Kirkstall Road area of Leeds, West Yorkshire, where flooding occurred after the monumental amount of rain has caused the river Aire to burst its banks.

The setback comes as new research lays out the full scale of the Boxing Day flooding devastation, and its impact on thousands of families across the city.

An updated report prepared for Leeds City Council’s cabinet reveals that a staggering 3,396 homes and businesses in the city were either directly flooded or affected by Storm Eva. These included 391 houses, 2,320 flats, 678 businesses and seven others such as churches and sports clubs.

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City and Hunslet (2,701) and Kirkstall (377) were the two areas with the highest numbers of flood-hit properties, both residential and commercial.

The council also revealed today that £1.4m of funding support has already been given to flood-hit homes and businesses in Leeds since the Boxing Day deluge. Around £1m has been given to residents, and £400,000 to businesses.

However a recent letter to the council from the Secretary of State for or Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has delivered a new blow.

The letter, detailed in the report going to the council’s executive board next week, says an initial feasibility study into an enhanced flood defence scheme for the city could take 18-24 months to complete. And the report adds: “Taking into account required processes such as detailed design, acquiring planning permissions and procurement process, this could mean businesses and communities in Leeds being without adequate protection for some four to five years.