New funding revealed to stop roads flooding

Clr Mus Khan, cabinet member for highways, said: “Much of the road surface drainage infrastructure in Kirklees is over 100 years old and needs improving.

“By working closely with our colleagues in the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and, in particular, our neighbours in Calderdale, we have been able to secure this grant which will make a significant difference to many Kirklees roads, and in turn the journeys of those that travel on them.

“We have a list of works to carry out and this grant will help us to get through them much quicker than expected.

“This investment should also reduce the amount of money we need to spend on reacting to unexpected surface water flooding incidents in the future.”

Calderdale, which is more prone to flooding than Kirklees, has received £1m to improve about 1,300 gullies across the borough.

The council received half of the £2m total given out by the DfT in West Yorkshire.

Clr Barry Collins, Calderdale Council’s cabinet member for regeneration and economic development, said: “This is a big win for Calderdale, and West Yorkshire as a whole.

“The funding will enable us to carry out much needed drainage repairs along some of our key highways, reducing the likelihood of flooding and improving protection to hundreds of homes and businesses.”

Calderdale Council will spend its £1m on ten major roads; the A629 Keighley Road, A629 Calderdale Way, A646 Skircoat Moor Road, A646 Todmorden Road, A644 Wakefield Road in Brighouse, A646 at Hebden Bridge and Mytholmroyd, A62 Cooper Bridge, A58 Whitehall Road in Lightcliffe and the A58 Ripponden.

Work is expected to start next month and take a year to complete.