Flood defence funding sought for Dales town

Households in a North Yorkshire town hit by flash-flooding in summer 2019 could finally get help to prevent a repeat of the incident.

More than £750,000 in funding is being sought for flood alleviation measures in Leyburn.

Dozens of homes were flooded in the town during heavy rainfall in July 2019. In total, more than 200 properties in the Yorkshire Dales were affected when a month's rain fell in just four hours.

North Yorkshire Council has applied for £415,274 from the Environment Agency's Flood Defence Grant in Aid programme alongside a further £340,000 from the Yorkshire Regional Flood and Coastal Committee Local Levy fund.

Leyburn and Middleham division councillor Karin Sedgwick welcomed the funding bid which she said would help homes affected in the Mount Drive area in particular.

She said: "It's really good news. Officers are hoping to hold an engagement in Leyburn to register the remaining properties which haven't had surveys done."

Funding has already been provided for communities in Wensleydale and Swaledale affected by the flooding, but Leyburn has previously missed out.

A report stated that the Leyburn scheme had previously been placed on hold after government flood funding cuts and changes to national funding priorities.

However, new funding rules introduced by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Environment Agency mean the project is once again eligible for significant support.

The total estimated value of the Leyburn scheme is now about £850,000, with North Yorkshire Council contributing approximately £95,000 from its existing flood risk management budget.

So far initial surveys have been carried out at 23 properties, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

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