FIVE areas of the district hit by the Boxing Day floods are in line for more protection in future, thanks to a new £850,000 fund.

Yorkshire’s regional flood and coastal committee yesterday agreed to fund flood prevention work by Bradford Council and the Environment Agency.

It will be used partly to fund small-scale ‘quick win’ projects such as debris removal, riverbank works and help for community groups such as the Bingley Flood Support Group.

The rest will be used to draw up detailed bids for a further £8m of funding to pay for 15 large schemes aimed at protecting 1,730 properties in five areas affected by December’s floods.

The areas identified are Silsden Beck, Keighley and Stockbridge, Bingley and Airedale, Baildon and Shipley and Esholt and Apperley Bridge.

Councillor Mike Ellis (Con, Bingley Rural), Bradford Council’s representative on the committee, said it was one of the best results he had seen in his many years in politics.

He said: “I am absolutely ecstatic that we have secured this funding. For a while it looked as though we would get nothing, as our bids were not viewed as being of a sufficient quality to warrant further investigation.

“However, I have persistently pushed the cause of the Bradford district and it has been decided that this funding to draw up 15 schemes, protecting over 1,700 homes, should be approved.

“This will provide a sense of security for a great number of families who would otherwise have good reason to worry whenever it rained very hard. We wouldn’t want any of them having a Christmas and New Year like last year.

“It should also make it easier for them to find affordable home insurance, which will be an additional weight off their shoulders.

“Whilst there is still a lot of work ahead to make these flood defences a reality, this is a huge step forward.”

Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Bradford Council’s executive member for planning, said: “This is great news for the Bradford district and it provides a welcome boost in our ongoing work to protect against future floods.

“This funding will help us as we identify the best ways to deliver long-term flood protection in areas of high risk.

“It will complement all the work we are already doing and it comes after we successfully lobbied the government for a £2.5m highways flood resilience grant earlier this year.

“I would like to thank Cllr Mike Ellis for his work as our representative on the Yorkshire Regional Flood and Coastal Committee.”