HUNDREDS of native trees have been planted on Harden Moor as part of plans to cut the amount of floodwater that runs off into the Aire Valley.

A total of 750 oak and rowan saplings have been put in place as part of the Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme.

The project is led by Leeds City Council, in partnership with Bradford Council and the Environment Agency.

Staff from Bradford Council’s countryside and rights of way and drainage teams were joined by a volunteer from the Friends of St Ives, at Harden, plus representatives of the Environment Agency and Leeds City Council for the planting – which was carried out in atrocious weather.

Also present were local councillors Paul Sullivan and Caroline Firth and Leeds MP Rachel Reeves.

Bradford Council officers have developed the natural flood management elements of the scheme on Harden Moor.

The initiative also includes wetland creation and the installation of ‘leaky barriers’ designed to slow the flow of water into Harden Beck, a tributary of the River Aire.

The overall aim of the work is for the land to be able to hold more water in times of heavy rainfall, so reducing the risk of flooding in areas downstream including in Bingley, Saltaire, Shipley, Esholt and Apperley Bridge.

West Yorkshire had its wettest February on record last month, with the Bingley Samos weather station – which is based in Wilsden – recording 315.8mm, which was 80mm higher than the month’s average for the county as a whole.

A second phase of the Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme is using natural flood management techniques to help slow the flow of the River Aire.

Alongside engineering works such as flood walls and a storage area, the project will reduce flood risks and provide better protection for 1,048 homes and 474 businesses.