PEOPLE who suffer flooding in Addingham are being urged to contact parish councillors as part of a risk-assessment survey of the village.

A flood development officer from Bradford Council is offering the village help to set up a Flood Action Group for people at risk of water inundating their homes.

Glen Miller told a meeting of Addingham Parish Council that the village had been identified as a possible location for a flooding strategy as there had been complaints in the past. But parish councillors said they wanted to assess whether there was a need in the village before forming a group.

Mr Miller said that if the group was formed it could then be eligible for a grant from Bradford Council. This could be used to buy anti-flooding equipment such as air brick seals.

"It is the same areas that get flooded every time and there were enough complaints from Addingham to warrant an action plan," said Mr Miller.

The group, which would contain parish councillors, would also publish advice and information about flooding so people were prepared for the worst.

Mr Miller said: "We are trying to be pro-active here and we have learned from the past. The council is trying to be pro-active for these areas so a plan can be put together."

But parish councillor Danny Palmer said that some of the flooding in Addingham was not the result of heavy rain nor rising river level.

He said: "Some of the flooding problems we have in the village is because of the lack of drain cleaning by Bradford Council."

But Mr Miller said that could be put right by the Flood Action Group. He said: "If that is one of your highest concerns, gully cleaning, that is fed back through me to the officers and is addressed."

Before anything was set up parish council chairman Gordon Campbell said he needed to know if there were enough villagers who needed extra flood protection.

He said: "We can put something in the parish council newsletter asking residents if they have had flooding problems. I am not desperate to set up a committee if we don't need one, but if there are residents with flooding problems we should be looking after them."

Councillor Alan Jerome said that anyone who had flooding problems should contact the parish clerk, Pam Boulton, or the chairman.

But district councillor Michael Kelly said he was not aware that Addingham had flooding problems. He said: "I have lived here for 21 years and I have never heard of any serious issue regarding flooding."

Coun Campbell said: "I can't think of a house which has been feet deep in water like Stockbridge (Keighley) or Ilkley. We are interested and if you we can identify a need then we will set it up."

Mr Miller said that he wanted to set up around ten groups in the district and he needed local volunteers to head up the strategy.