WORK was due to begin this week on repairing a prominent part of Haworth which was badly damaged by the 2015 Boxing Day floods.

Contractors acting on behalf of Bradford Council were to start fixing the bridge over Bridgehouse Beck, in Mill Hey, on Monday. (July 3)

Worth Valley ward councillor Rebecca Poulsen said it was good news that the repairs are finally under way.

The wall on the south side of the bridge had to be knocked down in December 2015 in order to allow flood water which had swamped Mill Hey to escape down into the beck.

Since then much of the rubble from the emergency demolition has remained in the water, and the gap on the bridge has been plugged with large, temporary concrete blocks.

The same floods one and a half years ago also gouged a gaping hole in the side of the nearby Mill Hey Brew House pub, though this building has now been fully restored.

Commenting on the beginning of work on the bridge, Cllr Poulsen said: "These are repairs I have pushed for since the Boxing Day floods and I am pleased this is finally starting.

"The work is starting now that the permits from the Environment Agency and Government flood funding are all in place.

"Initially the work will be conducted underneath the bridge, re-using stone that can be rescued from the beck. For some of the time there will be temporary traffic lights to allow single file traffic.

"There will also be improved drainage put into the road with larger gullies in the lowest part of the road to take away surface water."

Cllr Poulsen stressed it had not been a simple task to begin the Government-funded repair job, as Environment Agency rules impose restrictions on how long people are allowed to work in the beck.

"This was due to be done earlier but there was structural damage to another wall on the road to Keighley, so that had to be sorted out first," she said.

"With the Mill Hey bridge they are only allowed to work in the beck at certain times of year, due to spawning season, and for obvious reasons they can only work when water levels are relatively low.

"I also tried to make sure this wasn't going to be happening during major events such as the 1940s Weekend.

"It will be an eight to nine week contract, and most of the biggest work should be taking place within the school holidays.

"There is damage to the Conservative Club side of the bridge, which also needs to be fixed."

Cllr Poulsen said the temporary blocks on the south side of the bridge will be replaced with another solid wall, rather than "snow gates" or railings which some people had suggested would be necessary to let through excess water on the road surface in future.

She said she had been informed that railings could not be an option, as they would affect the structural integrity of the bridge.