SCORES of jobs could be at risk at one of Bradford’s biggest employers as part of a restructure.

Yorkshire Water, which is headquartered off Halifax Road and employs around 4,000 people, confirmed to the Telegraph & Argus that it is making “small changes” that will result in the loss of some jobs.

The firm would not provide a figure for how many roles are at risk, but the T&A understands this to be around 100.

A Yorkshire Water spokesperson said: “We’re making some small changes to the way our organisation is structured to make sure that we have the right people, in the right roles to deliver our services in the best way for customers.

 “As with any changes to structures, this does mean that unfortunately some roles are changing, where possible we are offering affected colleagues the opportunity to take up other roles with similar skillsets in other parts of the business.

“Sadly, this does mean that there will be some colleagues leaving who we will support with onward opportunities.

 “The changes will improve the way we work to deliver our services in the most effective way now and in the future.”

Yorkshire Water fell into trouble earlier this year when it was fined a huge £1.6 million for failings that led to sewage being discharged into a beck in Bradford city centre.

Handing down the fine, a judge was highly critical of the company, saying it didn’t treat the problem with “the gravity it deserved” and was “reckless” in the fact that it took almost two years to fix a problem with a sewage tank.

He also pointed out the company’s lengthy criminal record for similar incidents.

The company pleaded guilty to several charges brought by the Environment Agency.

They all related to pollution that seeped into Bradford Beck in 2018.

Yorkshire Water has also faced criticism over pollution in Ilkley. 

The town's clean river group has long been campaigning about a nearby Yorkshire Water Sewage Treatment Works which discharges raw sewage into the River Wharfe, especially after heavy rainfall.

The company is due to start a significant project in Ilkley later this year to construct a new sewer under the A65 in a bid to remedy the issue. 

John Grogan, former Labour MP for Keighley and Ilkley, said: "Yorkshire Water made a profit of £241 million last year.

"Instead of cutting jobs the company needs to be improving its performance in dealing with leakages and stopping pumping sewage into rivers like the River Wharfe at Ilkley.

"I would suggest that rather than job reductions savings could be made in top executives' bonuses which last year were £3 million - the levels of which cannot really be justified in a public utility which does not have a high level of risk."

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