WORK has begun to stabilise a riverbank along the River Aire damaged during Storm Christoph earlier this month.

The bank was damaged after the storm caused a 17th Century Grade II listed weir at Newlay in Horsforth collapsed due to high river levels caused by the storm.

This collapse caused a drop in water levels, revealing slumping and erosion of the riverbank.

The Environment Agency undertook assessments last week and engineering work has now begun to shore up the southern bank of the river downstream from the weir to protect it from further erosion.

This will involve installing sections of large boulders to stabilise the bank.

Work on the northern bank will also begin shortly with sheet piling and boulders being installed, and will be completed in a number of weeks.

The Environment Agency will continue to monitor the weir and will also undertake additional work to stabilise an adjacent fish pass.

Victoria Slingsby, environment planning and engagement manager at the Environment Agency, said: “Our assessments show the partial collapse of the weir and subsequent damage to riverbanks has not increased the immediate risk of flooding to local properties, but stabilisation works are required to prevent any further erosion and longer term flood risk.

“If you live near to this stretch of the river, please contact us if you notice any changes to your garden, land or property, or anything that concerns you. You can phone us at any time on our incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60, mentioning that your call is in connection with Newlay Weir.”