FIVE areas of the district hit by the Boxing Day floods – including Apperley Bridge and Esholt – are in line for more protection in future, thanks to a new £850,000 fund.

Yorkshire’s regional flood and coastal committee has agreed to fund flood prevention work by Bradford Council and the Environment Agency.

It will be used partly to finance small-scale ‘quick win’ projects such as debris removal, riverbank works and help for community groups such as the Bingley Flood Support Group.

The rest will be used to draw up detailed bids for a further £8 million of funding to pay for 15 large schemes aimed at protecting 1,730 properties in five areas affected by December’s floods.

The areas identified are Silsden Beck, Keighley and Stockbridge, Bingley and Airedale, Baildon and Shipley and Esholt and Apperley Bridge.

Bingley Rural councillor Mike Ellis, Bradford Council’s representative on the committee, said it was one of the best results he had seen in his many years in politics.

He said he was “absolutely ecstatic” they had secured the funding, as it had looked doubtful for a while.

He said: “This will provide a sense of security for a great number of families who would otherwise have good reason to worry whenever it rained very hard.

"We wouldn’t want any of them having a Christmas and New Year like last year. It should also make it easier for them to find affordable home insurance, which will be an additional weight off their shoulders. Whilst there is still a lot of work ahead to make these flood defences a reality, this is a huge step forward.”

Cllr Alex Ross-Shaw, the Labour-led council’s executive member for planning, said: “This is great news for the Bradford district and it provides a welcome boost in our ongoing work to protect against future floods. This funding will help us as we identify the best ways to deliver long-term flood protection in areas of high risk. It comes after we successfully lobbied government for a £2.5 million highways flood resilience grant earlier this year.”

Businesses and homes in the Stockbridge area were particularly badly hit by the Boxing Day deluge.

Bradford Road retailer Bump and Babes was closed for eight months and was then partially flooded again last month, less than three weeks after reopening.

Crossflatts and Mill Hey at Haworth were also severely affected.