WORK has begun today to stabilise a riverbank damaged after the collapse of a weir at Newlay in Horsforth.

The 17th Century, Grade II listed weir partially collapsed over the weekend of February 6 following high river levels caused by Storm Christoph. This caused a drop in water levels which revealed localised slumping and erosion of the riverbank.

A series of assessments were undertaken last week and Environment Agency contractors have now started engineering works to shore up the right hand bank of the river downstream of the weir to protect it from further erosion. This will involve installing sections of large boulders to stabilise the bank.

Work to protect the left bank will begin shortly, with the installation of a section of sheet piling and boulders.

The works will be delivered over the coming weeks.

Environment Agency officers will continue to monitor the weir and surveys will take place alongside additional works to stabilise the adjacent fish pass.

Victoria Slingsby, Environment Planning and Engagement Manager at the Environment Agency, said: “Our assessments show that 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.”