The Leader of Calderdale Council is calling on the Chancellor of the Exchequer to confirm what funding will be available to restore flood damaged infrastructure to the region during his budget speech on 16 March 2016.
Storm Eva had a devastating impact on West Yorkshire’s roads, and the repair bill to restore all the affected roads and bridges is in excess of £43 million.
Calderdale Council is leading the discussion with the Department for Transport, on behalf of the region, on the cost of the repairs which are required to restore critical infrastructure. To date this includes £32.5 million in Calderdale, £8.6 million in Leeds and £2.7 million in Bradford.
Cllr Tim Swift, Leader of Calderdale Council said:
“We, as a Council, are continuing to use our own resources to help restore our local infrastructure and make sure that we are resilient before next winter. The task is great. Three of our bridges collapsed, three footbridges were swept away, key roads within our area have cracked and require immediate repair and we have experienced several landslides.
“The costs of repair are too great for the Council to shoulder the burden alone and it is essential that we can have certainty from the government that we will receive the £27 million needed for the most critical repair work.
“It’s now two months since the government awarded us £5.5 million for Elland Bridge and this has ensured temporary links to this major community have been restored.
“Any further delay to a funding announcement, which will allow us to rebuild our collapsed network of bridges and roads, risks continued and more costly damage. It will also begin to hamper the recovery which we are now seeing in the Upper Valley, where our communities are beginning to re-open shops and businesses.
“We urgently need more certainty as the repair and reconstruction is essential in restoring vital links across Calderdale and other regionally significant connections, such as Linton Bridge in Leeds.
“We have written to the Chancellor, George Osborne and the Yorkshire Flooding Envoy Robert Goodwill MP, asking them to confirm that the repair and recovery of the critical infrastructure across West Yorkshire is a priority and requesting a clear and unequivocal commitment to further funding for the region in next week’s budget.”
Police Appeal After Man Reports Rape in Slough
Keighley Drug Dealer Ordered to Pay Back £170,000
New Bike and Street Trading Rules Coming to Leeds City Centre
Bradford Homes, Hospital and Schools to Benefit from £9.7m Heat Network Expansion
Former Leeds Accountant Jailed for Five More Years Over Unpaid £490,000 Confiscation Order
Manningham Housing Association Achieves LGBTQ+ Housing Pledge Pioneer Status
Police Warn Over New Trend Offering Cash to Accept Parcels
Tributes Paid to Former Buckinghamshire High Sheriff Peter Kara
Calderdale House Builder Fined £300,000 After Worker Suffers Serious Spinal Injuries
Bradford Youth Orchestra Hits the Right Notes on German Tour
Legal Show
Alim OnAir
The Golden Era
Bhangra Nights