BRADFORD Council officers giving an update on progress made following the Boxing Day floods nearly two years ago have said they have learned lessons.

John Major, the council’s assistant director for waste, fleet and transport services, said: “We have learned a lot over the last two years and have put a lot in place.

“The flooding was an unusual set of circumstances and it found Bradford Council not as prepared as it should have been.”

Members of the corporate overview and scrutiny committee received a report on recommendations the scrutiny committee had made in January 2016 to improve the council’s response to such incidents.

Key improvements include a weekly teleconference call – since January this year – during adverse weather, or a weekly West Yorkshire group e-mail circulated at other times, involving the Met Office, Environment Agency, blue light servies and West Yorkshire councils.

This is to pre-empt the possible impacts of any predicted weather events and determine the necessity for any standby arrangements.

A protocol is in place for monitoring highways grills. Depending on their location and history of collecting debris, they will be inspected on either a monthly or quarterly basis.

Dave Muzurke, group manager of highways maintenance, acknowledged that gully clearing tankers had been reduced in number from eight to three.

“Three tankers are enough for Bradford in my opinion. We clean the main roads once every 12 months and for those off the main roads it can be 18 months or two years,” he said, adding that as part of the progress report, six hotspots had been identified for flooding and a further 31 areas of flooding on the highways.

He added leaf fall was a major problem at this time of year. However, he said: “Flooding in Bradford is not down to blocked gullies. It’s (clearing gullies) a placebo effect, like sand bags.”

The committee was told a permanent stock of sand bags and flood sacks is now available for deployment by council staff to manage major flooding incidents.

They are located at Stockbridge depot, Wakefield Road in Bradford and also in Ilkley, Apperley Bridge and Addingham.

The committee heard the Environment Agency is undertaking a review of the flood models on various tributaries of the River Aire including Silsden Beck. It is the intention of the Flood Board to provide funding to this project to facilitate option appraisals of flood risk alleviation projects within the Silsden Beck catchment.

The 2015 Boxing Day floods hit homes and businesses in many parts of the district, including Stockbridge, Crossflatts and Haworth.

The committee noted the progress of the council and partners and asked for a further update in 12 months' time.