Bid to stop flood

Jan 19 2008 by Emma Davison, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

A BURST culvert responsible for causing flood misery to Kirkburton residents is to be fixed.

An Examiner reader, who wished to remain anonymous, sent in these dramatic pictures of water gushing into the roads when heavy rainfall hit the village early this week.

The culvert, which runs under the road from George Street down to Low Gate and Low Town, has overflowed and flooded the area twice in the last two weeks.

The ancient culvert, which was estimated by the reader to be around 200 years old, was damaged during last year’s summer floods.

The resident, who lives in the area, said locals were frustrated that no action had been taken to repair it.

He said: “Since then there’s been no remedial action taken and because of the rain in the last few weeks it has flooded.

“There’s been a lot of flooding – around 18 inches of water – and the water has been running across the main road on to Riley Park.

“The cars have found it very difficult to get past and many have had to take a different route.

“Residents have also found it difficult and many have been putting sandbags outside their homes.

“The difficulty is that it goes under private gardens at Low Gate and there’s been a problem over who should pay for it to be fixed.

“But it’s a shame that since June last year we’ve had to suffer all this flooding – and it could get worse if we have more rain.”

A spokesman for Kirklees Council said that work on repairing the culvert is due to start on February 4.

The work, which will include the area around the collapsed culvert being cleared, is expected to take nine weeks – weather permitting.

The spokesman added: “The culvert in Low Gate, Kirkburton, is private.

“However, the highways service is responsible for the parts of the culvert that run underneath George Street and across Low Town.

“The culvert was highlighted for repair as it was under-strength. The floods last summer caused the collapse in the private section and we have been working with the Environment Agency to agree repairs for both the part we are responsible for and the private area.

“The repairs have been included in our programmed works.”