RESIDENTS of Fenay Bridge have voiced fears that anti-flooding measures on a housing development are failing.

People living at Spa Bottom became worried when heavy rain waterlogged the nearby Fenay Bridge Park estate.

Developers George Wimpey are building 19 homes at Spa Bottom and 250 on a nearby site, which is separated from Spa Bottom by Fenay Bridge Road.

Jonathan Ellis said he spotted the water from the site running past his house at Spa Bottom.

He said: "If it is flooding now, what is it going to be like when the houses are completed? The water has brought stuff from the site down the road and lifted the tarmac up.

"They were supposed to have put flood-alleviation measures in place, but they don't seem to work."

Mr Ellis said the area had flooded several times before, but never so badly.

Wimpeys spokesman David Fisher said work had been done to stop surface water from the two development sites rushing into nearby Fenay Beck and suddenly pushing up water levels.

A tank system has been installed to release water slowly into the watercourse.

Mr Fisher added: "What we are doing will not affect flooding in the area one iota. Increased flooding won't be the case.

"What we are doing is stopping water from going into the watercourse faster than normal," he said.

"It will improve things, if anything."

The work was part of a detailed planning application submitted by Wimpeys last November.

The firm received outline planning permission from Kirklees Council that month, but details about the layout of the site, design of the houses, materials, landscaping and drainage still have to be approved.

Yorkshire Water has said the drainage system is acceptable, but Kirklees will not give formal approval of the detailed plans until a legal agreement between it and Wimpeys is finalised.

The agreement covers arrangements for public open space and affordable housing.

Permission was refused for the developments on three previous applications, because of objections from people living nearby.

Spa Bottom residents feared building in the area could cause flooding and commissioned a £1,000 independent survey.