HUNDREDS of native trees have been planted on Harden Moor as part of plans to cut the amount of floodwater that runs off into the Aire Valley.

A total of 750 oak and rowan saplings were put in place on Friday despite blizzards as part of the Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme (FAS).

The Phase 2 pilot Natural Flood Management project is led by Leeds City Council in partnership with Bradford Council and the Environment Agency.

Staff from Bradford Council's Countryside and Rights of Way and Drainage teams were joined by a volunteer from the Friends of St Ives Estate, representatives of the Environment Agency and Leeds City Council as well as local councillors Paul Sullivan and Caroline Firth and Leeds MP Rachel Reeves to brave the bad weather and plant the trees.

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Bradford Council's officers have developed the natural flood management elements of the scheme on Harden Moor, which also includes wetland creation and the installation of leaky barriers all designed to slow the flow of water into Harden Beck, a tributary of the River Aire.

The overall aim of this work is for the land to be able to hold more water in times of heavy rainfall, so reducing the risk of flooding in areas downstream including in Bingley, Saltaire, Shipley, Esholt and Apperley Bridge.

The planting came as the Bradford district was battered by the latest of three named storms to hit the UK during February - Ciara, Dennis and Jorge.

West Yorkshire had its wettest February on record last month, with the Bingley Samos weather station, which is based in Wilsden, recording 315.8mm through February, which was 80mm higher than the month’s average for the county as a whole.

West Yorkshire had 235.8mm of rain through February 2020 which is 359 per cent of its long term average, according to the Met Office.

The previous record for the county was 180.3mm in 2002. Records began in 1862.

This second phase of the FAS is using natural flood management techniques to help slow the flow of the River Aire. Alongside engineering works such as flood walls and a flood storage area, this will reduce flood risk and provide better protection for 1,048 homes and 474 businesses.

More than 70 homes in the Bradford district were flooded as Storm Ciara hit. Grants of £250 and a council tax exemption have been given to flood affected households from Bradford Council.

The Government issued flood warnings for Shipley, Esholt, Cottingley, Keighley, Oakworth, Oxenhope, Silsden, Cleckheaton, Liversidge, Heckmondwike and Batley during the storm spells.