A new flood defence scheme for Keighley and Stockbridge is gaining momentum with the launch of a website to keep the community updated on proposals to reduce flood risk.

Floodwater in Keighley, 2015

The Environment Agency is working in partnership with the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council and Yorkshire Water to deliver a flood risk management scheme that will reduce flood risk to residents and businesses within the Keighley and Stockbridge area.

The project team have now launched a website for the Keighley and Stockbridge Flood Alleviation Scheme which will hold all information on the scheme and key milestones to keep the community updated.

Keighley is situated at the confluence of the River Aire and River Worth and has a long history of flooding. Approximately 460 residential properties and 290 businesses in the area are currently at risk of flooding.

The River Worth Flood Alleviation Scheme was constructed in the early 1980s and is made up of raised defences and embankments along the River Worth. These sit alongside some privately owned walls and buildings that act as flood defences. There are also raised defences on the River Aire in Keighley, which were last refurbished in 2004.

Whilst the defences have provided protection from flooding over many years, some of these defences – particularly those on the River Worth - are now nearing the end of their design life and need repairing or replacing.

Luke Williams senior flood risk advisor for West Yorkshire at the Environment Agency said:

The scheme aims to reduce the risk of flooding from the River Worth and the River Aire by refurbishing or replacing the existing defences along the rivers. It will also aim to reduce risk from surface water flooding when it is unable to drain away through the drainage network, and will also explore options in the upper catchment, such as natural flood management, to slow the flow and help manage the impacts of climate change.

We know the devastating impact that flooding can have, which is why protecting people and communities is our top priority. This new website will provide updates on progress to the community and details of when they can get the opportunity to comment on proposals.

Cllr Alex Ross-Shaw, Bradford Council’s Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, said:

It is vital that we work with partners now to put infrastructure in place to protect our communities from future flooding events, which could become more likely in the changing climate, especially in places like Stockbridge, where we know there is a higher flood risk. We have been pursuing funding for this vital work in Keighley for some time so I’m delighted with the progress being made.”

Millie McCormick, Flood Risk & Engagement Engineer at Yorkshire Water said:

“We are delighted to be working alongside Yorkshire’s Risk Management Authorities on the Keighley and Stockbridge FAS aiming to reduce both river and surface water flooding to hundreds of properties and businesses. Climate change and sustainability must be incorporated into our scheme to ensure future resilience and maximum benefit is provided to our customers, hence why this project is looking at natural flood management and monitoring the flow to reduce the risk of flooding.

Natural flood management

The scheme will also explore the use of natural flood management (NFM) in the River Worth upper catchment to ‘slow the flow’ and reduce river levels in Keighley during times of flood.

NFM works by protecting and restoring natural processes in catchments and rivers, and can take many forms including targeted tree planting, moorland restoration, land management (including soil aeration) and wetlands or water storage features.

The project team would like to hear from any landowners in the River Worth catchment that are interested in exploring NFM opportunities on their land. People are encouraged to sign up to receive updates about the project or enquire about NFM opportunities by emailing This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

The Environment Agency is now completing more detailed assessments of the options and progressing the outline business case, which is expected to be submitted for approval at the end of 2024.

Construction is expected to start around 2026/27 and be complete by late 2030.