OTLEY'S flood alleviation scheme is set to come a step closer in June as council bosses consider a funding injection of nearly £2 million.

Members of Leeds City Council Executive Board will be asked to approve spending £659,000

to support the outline business case submission and planning application and to develop the detailed design of the scheme.

Councillors at the meeting on June 26 will also consider injecting £1,328,000 of central contingency money to underwrite the current funding gap in the scheme so that it can be delivered by the end of 2020.

This will mean the scheme will be in time to use the previously allocated £2m of flood defence money from central government which was announced in 2016.

The council is also looking at other sources of funding.

Otley and Yeadon councillors are welcoming the progression of the scheme.

Cllr Sandy Lay said: "Everyone remembers the devastation the flooding caused to those properties bordering the river in November and December 2015 so I'm pleased that the Council remains committed to ensuring that it doesn't happen again.

"Like the larger Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme, I'm yet to be convinced that the council and the Environment Agency are quite there yet so I'll be asking Council Leader and Otley resident Cllr Judith Blake to remember her promise that she'd do all she could so those residents are protected.

"We're not quite there yet in my view but we'll continue to work with the council, the Environment Agency and residents to get what they need and not just what is on offer."

Cllr Colin Campbell said: "I am pleased that further progress is being made with this.

"Fortunately it has been a dry winter but the fear of flooding must be a constant worry for local residents.

"Local councillors have raised the issue at Leeds Council with a plea for an assurance on funding along with a speedy start date.

"Hopefully this will be forthcoming."

Investigative and preparatory work has been going on ever since the Government announced, in 2016, that it would provide £2 million for Otley’s defences following three floods at the end of 2015.

It was announced that four options - involving embankments, flood defence walls, river maintenance and riverbank realignment - were being considered.

An update to the public in February this year said the latest preferred option was to build a flood embankment to the west of Billams Hill and to cut back vegetation on islands downstream of Otley Weir.