Julian Smith MP has welcomed the announcement that a new flood alleviation scheme has officially opened today, providing additional flooding protections for an estimated 370 homes and 118 businesses in Skipton and the surrounding area.
The Skipton flood alleviation scheme received a £1.5 million investment from the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and West Yorkshire Combined Authority, as well as funding from the Environment Agency, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), North Yorkshire County and Craven District Councils, the Yorkshire Regional Flood and Coastal Committee and Yorkshire Water. This has enabled major structural work to be undertaken to safeguard the town centre and nearby areas from heavy rainfall and the risk of flooding.
Minister for the Northern Powerhouse and Local Growth Jake Berry said: ‘We’re committed to boosting economic growth across the whole of the Northern Powerhouse and building a Britain fit for the future.
Ensuring that homes and businesses are kept safe against extreme weather conditions like flooding is central to this. The Skipton Flood Alleviation Scheme, backed by £1.5m from the Local Growth Fund, will help protect Skipton town centre from flooding while giving much needed assurance to residents.’
Julian Smith said: ‘This is great news for our area and I pay tribute to Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and West Yorkshire Combined Authority for their commitment to ensuring businesses and homes are protected from future flooding in our region.’
