Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme Phase 2

Find out how we are reducing the risk of flooding in Leeds between Leeds Train Station and Apperley Bridge.

A combination of traditional engineering methods and natural flood management (NFM) will be used to reduce flood risk in Leeds. 

We're working with the Environment Agency on our Flood Alleviation Scheme Phase 2 (FAS2) to help protect 1,048 homes and 474 businesses. We're focusing mainly on the developed areas along the River Aire, upstream of Leeds Train Station and Apperley Bridge.

FAS2 provides a one in a 200 year level of protection against flooding. This means flooding will be reduced to a 0.5 per cent chance of occurring in any given year, including an allowance for climate change. 

Once the scheme is completed, it will help protect against similar flooding to Storm Eva.

Find out more about the scheme, why it is needed, where the works are taking place and the additional benefits on the Leeds City Council Flood Resilience website external link.

How we're reducing the risk of flooding

The scheme is made up of two main elements:

Traditional engineering

Traditional engineering methods include building flood defence walls and making improvements to existing structures along the River Aire between Leeds Train Station and Apperley Bridge, as well as creating a new flood storage area in Cragg Wood.

Find out more about the engineering works and keep up to date on the progress across each of the 12 zones on the Leeds City Council Flood Resilience website external link.

Natural flood management (NFM)

The Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme has the first NFM programme in the UK to be implemented at catchment scale. It aims to reduce flood risk to Leeds by implementing a range of measures throughout the Aire catchment right up to the source of the river in Malham.

Find out more about the measures we’re implementing and the progress throughout the catchment on the Leeds City Council Flood Resilience website external link.