Village to get better flooding defences

WORK starts this week on new flood defences for a West Yorkshire village which was devastated by a flood.

Improvements to defences at Collingham, near Wetherby, will reduce the risk of flooding to more than 50 homes, which were inundated by water from Collingham Beck in June 2007.

Environment Agency contractors will build a reinforced concrete flood wall along the line of existing fences in the Millbeck Green area. After the wall has been completed, garden fences will be put back on top.

While contractors are on site they also will repair two badly-eroded sections of riverbank alongside Leeds Road.

The wall is intended to reduce the risk of inundation from a flood of the same magnitude as June 2007 but additional work is needed to raise low sections of the existing private floodbanks in the gardens along the beck.

Collingham Parish Council’s flood committee, which was set up following the 2007 floods, is co-ordinating the bank-raising work.

“The parish council, along with the flood committee and Leeds City Council, has developed a flood plan which can be used when the village is on high alert,” said Environment Agency technical specialist Mark Fuller.

“The plan uses designated local flood wardens who can warn vulnerable residents and help with an emergency response should the worst happen.”

Residents are being warned the works will result in extra traffic on Leeds Road.

Properties in the village at risk of flooding from Collingham Beck or the River Wharfe are eligible for the Environment Agency’s free Floodline Warnings Direct service which sends an automatic warning message by landline, mobile, email, pager or fax to householders and businesses who have signed up.

Collingham residents are urged to check whether they could benefit from the free service by contacting the Environment Agency’s Floodline on 0845 988 1188 or visiting the website www.environment-agency. gov.uk