Multi-million pound boost for West Yorkshire flood defence schemes

Flooding in Hebden Bridge on Boxing Day 2015

More than £5.6m of funding for flood alleviation schemes in West Yorkshire has been approved.

The money will be spent refurbishing a flood channel in Leeds, re-directing floodwater in Huddersfield and on measures to protect homes in Brighouse.

It comes on top of a £22m flood alleviation effort announced last December, West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) said.

More than 52,000 homes and businesses are in flood zones, the WYCA said.

During the Boxing Day floods of 2015 around 6,000 properties were damaged across the region.

Tracy Brabin said some West Yorkshire communities were still "reeling from the devastating Boxing Day floods of 2015"

The schemes to be funded:

• Albert Street Flood Alleviation Scheme, Huddersfield - £526,176

• Sheepscar Beck Refurbishment Scheme, Leeds - £620,104

• Brighouse Flood Alleviation Scheme, Brighouse - £4,499,000

• A further £966,000 to slow the flow of water through natural flood measures in Leeds and Bradford was also approved in December.

Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said it was "vital" support for businesses and communities in West Yorkshire was "stepped up", with some "still reeling" from 2015 floods.

"While we cannot eradicate extreme weather completely, we can still make a huge difference with the right local support, as we build a greener, more vibrant West Yorkshire," she added.

Councillor Scott Patient, Calderdale Council's cabinet member for climate action and housing, said: "Flooding is a real concern across West Yorkshire, and this latest round of support will alleviate that ongoing threat and help to ensure that our region is fit for the future."