Barnsley Central MP and South Yorkshire Mayor Dan Jarvis took part in a site visit at Lang Avenue, Lundwood to meet with officers from Barnsley Council and Yorkshire Water and discuss the ongoing flood alleviation works. 

Commenting, Dan Jarvis said: 

“It was very useful to be able to visit Lang Avenue and see for myself the vitally important work that is underway. 

“Throughout my time as the local MP, I have been working hard to deliver a long-term, sustainable solution to the very long-running issue of flooding in the street – made ever more urgent by the devastating floods of November 2019. 

“As Mayor, I have secured significant resources from national government to invest in our region’s flood defences and I am continuing to press central government to fund our South Yorkshire Flooding Response Plan – which would protect 10,300 homes and 2,800 businesses – in full. 

“It is welcome to see that the multi-agency partnership between Barnsley Council, Yorkshire Water and the Environment Agency is working effectively and that transformative flood defence and mitigation work is being delivered on the ground.” 

Commenting, Yorkshire Water Flood Risk and Engagement Engineer Jessica Green said: 

“We were pleased to welcome Dan Jarvis to site and show him the progress that has been made to alleviate flood risk on Lang Avenue.  

“We’re working closely with Barnsley Council, Bernslai Homes and the Environment Agency to reduce flood risk in the area. It is a complex issue, but by working together we have been able to better understand the cause of past flooding events and direct our resources where they will be most effective. When our initial planned work is complete we will be able to assess and determine what further investment may be needed, and also confirm maintenance and incident plans.” 

Commenting, Barnsley Council’s Cabinet Spokesperson for Environment and Transport, Cllr Chris Lamb said: 

“We’ve seen all too well the effect that flooding has on our communities and that’s why as a council we’re dedicated to working together with our partners to reducing the risk of flooding and the impact it has on our residents and businesses. 

“I’d like to thank local residents for their patience and cooperation with all partners during these works.” 

Notes for Editors 

• Mayor Jarvis secured £80m in new funding from the Environment Agency’s Yorlshire Regional Flood and Coastal Committee in January 2021: https://sheffieldcityregion.org.uk/mayor-responds-to-80m-funding-for-south-yorkshire-flood-defences/  
• The South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority has produced a flooding priority programme worth £270m which, if fully funded, would protect 10,300 homes and 2,800 businesses across the region. 
• This follows the long-awaited South Yorkshire Flooding Summit that took place in October 2020: https://sheffieldcityregion.org.uk/south-yorkshire-flooding-summit-to-finally-take-place/  

• Barnsley council, Yorkshire Water, Bernslai Homes and the Environment Agency are taking a collaborative approach to reducing flood risk at Lang Avenue. The partners are holding weekly meetings to agree actions and move plans forward. 
• Ownership of land and assets is split amongst organisations, and so collaboration is key to lowering flood risk.  
• Yorkshire Water has a designated flood risk engineer, Jessica Green, to lead its involvement in the project.  
• Ongoing work is the first of three phases of groundworks to clear and reform natural water pathways to direct water away from the Lang Avenue area. 
• Yorkshire Water machinery will be used to clear culverts under the Transpennine Way, allowing water to make its way to the River Dearne. 

• Monitoring is in place on Yorkshire Water assets to capture water level data. CCTV has also been used to ensure assets are working effectively. 
• A public engagement event was held in May, with another event planned for autumn 2021.