On Boxing Day 2015 Kirkstall Road was under several feet of flood water
The shadow of the Boxing Day floods of two years ago still lingers among residents and businesses along Kirkstall Road and in Kirkstall itself.
A flurry of community activity saw residents and volunteers across the city rally round to help lead the clean-up.
Some places, like the Sheesh Mahal restaurant on Kirkstall Road, took longer to recover. The popular restaurant only reopened earlier this year.
Resident-led monthly community clean-ups and riverbank maintenance events continue to this day...
FloodingKirkstall Bridge Retail Park
The plaN
As we reported in September, the council has prepared a plan to tackle the threat of future flooding...
Creating new woodland areas by planting hundreds of thousands of tree saplings on council-owned land, including unspecified locations in Kirkstall
The removal of a disused bridge at Milford Place in Burley and the removal of a platform under Gotts Bridge, Kirkstall.
Where possible, using sites in Leeds to temporarily retain flood waters when levels are high. Control gates would be used to fill and then release water from the stores back into river when safe to do so. Initial major sites identified in the report include Rodley Nature Reserve and at Apperley Bridge.
Smaller temporary flood water storage sites have been identified at Kirkstall Meadows (the rugby practice pitches on the opposite bank to Kirkstall Abbey) and Kirkstall Valley Nature Reserve.
Removing existing obstructions along the river to help reduce water levels, along with also lowering the riverbed in places along the Kirkstall corridor to improve its capacity and flow.
Improving riverbank protection measures along the river catchment in Craven and Pendle along with enhanced woodland areas and installing debris dams.
A new 700-metre long flood defence at Stourton with new walls and surface water interventions similar to those installed at Woodlesford as part of phase one.
Building raised defences along with landscaping, terracing, embarkments and walls, but due to the range of natural measures the height of any engineered defences will not need to be as high as previously projected.
Councillors on the decision-making executive board will, on Wednesday, agree to send an outline business case for flood defence funding to DEFRA.The measures could cost up to £123 million.
A report to be considered by councillors on Wednesday concludes:
"Until flood risk is reduced, the risk to life, property and businesses remains. If progression of the study is delayed, difficulties may be encountered in achieving the deadlines set and funding could be withdrawn ...
