'Lives could be lost' if flooding on major Castleford road is not stopped

Business owners on a main road into Castleford say lives could be lost if attempts are not made to stem persistent flooding.
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Barnsdale Road, between Allerton Bywater and Castleford, has been left under several feet of water twice in a week thanks to first Storm Ciara and then Storm Dennis.

Five companies have been left counting the cost again as the water reached up to five feet in their premises the previous weekend and then another three feet on Sunday.

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Nick Howard, 49, who runs Castleford Car Centre said: “I’m not under any illusion, we are just collateral damage in all of this, but there is a serious safety issue here.

Business owners on a main road into Castleford say lives could be lost if attempts are not made to stem persistent flooding.Business owners on a main road into Castleford say lives could be lost if attempts are not made to stem persistent flooding.
Business owners on a main road into Castleford say lives could be lost if attempts are not made to stem persistent flooding.

“It’s a main artery into Castleford used by fire engines and ambulances, and they just can’t get through.

“There will be a fatality, if not directly, then indirectly, of the consequences of flooding.

“It’s probably an eight-mile detour to get from Castleford to Allerton Bywater or Garforth.

“It’s just got worse and worse.

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“It flooded four times last year and twice in a week already this year. We’re in limbo here, we feel like we’re being left high and not very dry.”

Mr Howard who has run his business on the site for the past two years, says more than 24 vehicles had to be moved at the weekend as soon as flood warnings were issued.

And while they have become adept at mopping out the sewage-filled water, they say they are losing business every time they are forced to shut.

Infuriatingly, they say no action is being taken to alleviate the problem.

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With the water spilling over from the nearby River Aire and running across saturated fields, Mr Howard says three culvert bridges positioned close to the businesses, under which the water is meant to flow away, are being left blocked by debris.

As a result, he says the water is not able to disperse quickly, and leaves then prone to further flooding each time it rains.

Mick Dennis, who has run Bars R Us on the site for more than two decades, says he his company has been flooded out approximately 25 times.

He said: “We are uninsurable here, but we have built a resilience to it and can prepare for it.

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“We can’t stop it flooding but the culverts are all blocked.

“Maintenance of the dykes is crucial here, and when they are blocked, there’s nowhere for the water to go.

Mr Howard added: “It’s common sense, you don’t need to be a scientist. If the water’s got nowhere to go, it’s going back up.

“The culverts need dredging.

“We’re all just jittery, the speed at which the water comes up is scary.

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“Once it comes over the banking from the river, there’s no stopping it.

“The land is so saturated at the moment that it won’t take much for it to flood again.

“We’re all just watching the weather all of the time.”

Yvette Cooper, MP for Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford, said: "The repeated flooding on Barnsdale Road and on the way into Castleford is a nightmare for local businesses and residents.

“They need urgent help. These floods are wrecking people’s businesses and stopping people coming into Castleford to shop or work so it’s hitting the town centre too.

“This keeps happening.

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“We need more support from Government for businesses blighted by floods. And we need action to prevent and manage the flooding in the first place.

“Local businesses have shown me the blocked culverts which are making the flooding worse - we need urgent action from local councils to get them cleared.

“But we also need a proper plan and proper investment in Yorkshire flood defences to stop this getting worse. I’m calling on the Government to provide more support for flooded small businesses and I’m calling on the Environment Agency to help with a new plan to prevent so many local businesses being wrecked in this way.

“This is people’s livelihoods and as climate change gets worse, too many of them are at risk.

“Yet there’s no sign of a proper Government plan. Any other businesses or residents who are affected should get in touch with my office and we’ll do all we can to help.”

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