Flooding in the Well House district
Flooding in the Well Houses - Fabian Hamilton raises the issue at Westminster.
Attached is the excerpt from Hansard for December 17th 2008 when Fabian asked Hilary Benn a question about flooding in the Well Houses.
Mr. Fabian Hamilton (Leeds, North-East) (Lab): I, too, warmly welcome my right hon. Friend's statement and, in particular, the money for Leeds, which is one of the trial areas for the surface water management.
As my right hon. Friend will know, residents of the Wellhouses in my constituency are regularly flooded because of the overflow of Gledhow beck, which, further downstream, will affect his constituents as well. Can he confirm that, after 2011, Gledhow beck will be one of the areas transferred to public responsibility, and Leeds city council will be able to take over responsibility for it? Residents often have no idea when they move to the area that they are responsible for maintaining its banks.
Will my right hon. Friend also put pressure on Leeds city council to do something about the balancing lake at Roundhay park, which is often the cause of the huge amount of flooding in the Wellhouses?
Hilary Benn: I shall need to check whether Gledhow will be covered by the transfer arrangements. I think it will depend on the definitions, but I will pursue the point. As for my hon. Friend's second question, that is exactly what the council's surface water management plans are intended to identify.
I pay tribute to the work of the staff of Leeds city council. I think it fair to say that the council has a pretty good national reputation for its work on flooding. Following the efforts to protect the people who have been affected by the flooding of Wyke beck three or four times over the past four years, they have certainly noticed a difference. For instance, one of the pilot schemes involved the introduction of flood guards and other flood protection, which has helped to prevent their houses from being damaged in future.
As my right hon. Friend will know, residents of the Wellhouses in my constituency are regularly flooded because of the overflow of Gledhow beck, which, further downstream, will affect his constituents as well. Can he confirm that, after 2011, Gledhow beck will be one of the areas transferred to public responsibility, and Leeds city council will be able to take over responsibility for it? Residents often have no idea when they move to the area that they are responsible for maintaining its banks.
Will my right hon. Friend also put pressure on Leeds city council to do something about the balancing lake at Roundhay park, which is often the cause of the huge amount of flooding in the Wellhouses?
Hilary Benn: I shall need to check whether Gledhow will be covered by the transfer arrangements. I think it will depend on the definitions, but I will pursue the point. As for my hon. Friend's second question, that is exactly what the council's surface water management plans are intended to identify.
I pay tribute to the work of the staff of Leeds city council. I think it fair to say that the council has a pretty good national reputation for its work on flooding. Following the efforts to protect the people who have been affected by the flooding of Wyke beck three or four times over the past four years, they have certainly noticed a difference. For instance, one of the pilot schemes involved the introduction of flood guards and other flood protection, which has helped to prevent their houses from being damaged in future.