A major investment in the development of improved flood defences in the town of Otley are being discussed by Leeds City Council, with the aim of delivering increased flood prevention in the future for local residents and businesses.
September 16th will see the launch of a consultation on a proposed £80,000 investment in this area under funding provided by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, with feedback on the proposals being sought from all those likely to be affected by the plans.
The money is set to be used to carry out repairs to a collapsed culvert at Otley Bridge, as well as clearing river debris in the local area and rebuilding the headwall at Wharfemeadows Park.
Councillor Sandy Lay commented: “I am pleased that we will be consulting with residents to inform them of the local flood defence strategy for Otley.
“The strategy will ensure that homeowners and businesses’ needs are taken into account, whilst providing comprehensive and sustainable protection from flooding in the area.”
An inspection team from the local authority has already carried out considerable preliminary work on the plans after determining previous flooding episodes in the past have caused considerable damage to many of the area’s existing flood defences.
The consultation will last for two months, at which point the council will decide whether to move forward with its plans. It is hoped, however, there will be no objections and the project can get underway before future flooding is allowed to happen.
Flooding can be one of the biggest headaches for property owners, as it can cause significant damage to not only belongings but all the fabric of a property – something that can be extremely costly and time-consuming to fix.
With this in mind, property owners up and down the UK should consider taking out insurance for flood risk areas from GSI Insurance Services (Southern) Limited – a policy that provides peace of mind that in the event of flood defences being breached, all the necessary costs will be covered.