A £10 MILLION package of flood defence repairs is nearing completion.

The Environment Agency say repairs have been completed, with four sites left to complete, after the River Aire flood defences were damaged in February 2020 and an extra £3 million funding has now been secured to make further repairs to defences in the area.

The structures, including flood embankments and washlands, were damaged during heavy storms and flooding in 2019/20.

They say the latest repairs have been completed at Poor Bank near Gowdall where concrete blocks have been installed on the embankment of a reservoir to make it more resilient to erosion. At Carlton bridge, similar steps have been taken to ensure the river bank is more resilient to flood water.

This week, work began at Chapel Haddlesey where a crane has been brought in to strengthen the flood bank with sheet piling. The work is expected to take five weeks.

Kimberley MacPherson, West Yorkshire Operations Manager at the Environment Agency said:

“Despite the challenges of the coronavirus and winter flooding during 2020/21, we have managed to deliver a £10 million package of flood repairs to protect communities in the Lower Aire.

“The works were aimed at bringing our defences back up to their required standard of protection, so they can operate as designed during floods. Heavy storms damaged flood defences throughout the area in the winter of 2019/20 and this work ensures local communities will remain resilient to future flooding and climate change.

“I’m delighted that we’ve been able to secure an extra £3m funding to continue this work for the Lower River Aire.”

She said repair work has already been completed at Little Airmyn, West Holme, West Haddlesey, Pickhill, Poor bank, Birkin Barrier bank, Hensall Pumping station, Carlton Bridge, Coates Marsh, Hirst Courtney, Temple Hirst and Lock lane.

Meanwhile work at Chapel Haddlesey started at the end of June. Works are required to stabilise the flood bank. At Heck Ings, work is due to be completed in the coming weeks.

Work is ongoing at Hensall Ings Barrier bank. This is to repair an area which has been eroded and return the bank to its required standard of protection.