Flood defences on the River Calder protected Wakefield from flooding on Monday when water levels rose following torrential rain on already saturated ground.
Environment Agency flood risk managers are delighted that the flood defences did their job. The walls and floodgates kept the water out and washlands created from the old quarry sites close to the Denby Dale Road junction with the M1 motorway took significant amounts of water from the River Calder, easing river levels which would otherwise have flooded roads and properties around Thornes Lane, Barnsley and Doncaster Roads – effectively crippling the city.
Sue O’Neill, Area Operations Delivery Manager, said: “The defences have protected hundreds of homes and businesses from flooding. The flood water would have been a metre deep if the washlands had been unable to contain it and it would have been a catastrophe for the city.”
“ The Environment Agency’s decision to provide the flood defence scheme for Wakefield has proven to be an excellent use of tax payer’s money as it has stood up so well during this first major test. Without the flood defences in place Wakefield would have potentially suffered millions of pounds of damage.”
The washlands will gradually empty as the river recedes after the heavy rainfall which swept the region on Monday.
The River Calder flood defence scheme in Wakefield has cost £11million so far with flood defences running from The M1 motorway bridge through the City past Chantry Bridge.
