OTLEY has suffered a third successive weekend of flooding.

Continuing stormy weather saw the River Wharfe burst its banks once again in the early hours of Saturday, February 22.

By 5.30am the water had started to cover riverside roads and shortly afterwards Otley Bridge, Billams Hill, Farnley Lane and Bridge Street were among the roads that were closed.

Large sections of Wharfemeadows Park, including the play area, and the former Bridge End cattle market site were also under water and a number of gardens submerged.

Routes in and out of the town were affected too, with Pool Road flooding badly between Otley and Pool-in-Wharfedale and stretches of the A660 between Otley and Burley-in-Wharfedale waterlogged, which led to bus services being cancelled.

Otley's volunteer-run Flood Response Team and Leeds City Council officers were out, for the third weekend in a row, to do what they could to help.

Team member Gareth Dibble praised the volunteers and the 'amazing community support' they received. He said: "A flood alert was issued just before 11pm on Friday night when a bulk of the team were still awake, so we met up in Otley to distribute the sandbags to homes on Bridge Avenue and Farnley Lane along with Gay Lane, as we had calls saying the water flowing off the Chevin was also causing issues there.

"We finished distributing sandbags, with the residents' assistance, at about 2am.

"Then at 5.30am on Saturday I met a resident to assess the situation as the water had started to come over onto the roads at the junction of Billams Hill and Farnley Lane. It was just before 6am when we took the decision to close the roads for the safety of vehicles and homes, and a little after we were suggesting that no vehicle made the attempt to cross."

The team also helped two care workers who needed to wade through water to reach one of their customers on Farnley Lane.

A £3.3 million flood alleviation scheme is currently with planners at Leeds and Otley's MP Alex Sobel (Lab, Leeds North West) recently wrote to all those involved in it - including the Government, which is providing £2 million - to seek assurances it will be completed this year.

Local councillors are also calling for the plan to be approved and implemented as fast as possible.

Councillors Colin Campbell, Ryk Downes and Sandy Lay (all Lib Dem, Otley & Yeadon) met city council planning officers last Friday to ask why the defences were taking so long.

Cllr Campbell said: "We have also now written to the Director of Planning to ask what is causing the delay and see if he can help expedite matters.

"I have great sympathy for the affected residents who have had three weekends of worry."

Cllr Lay added: "Once again the town suffered flooding and once again great work was undertaken by residents, Flood Response Team and local builders merchants BTS and of course city council staff and their partners.

"But now it's time everyone got behind the current flood alleviation scheme so that affected residents can get the protection they need.

"Let's get the planning application approved, building works started and protections in place as soon as possible."