MP calls for 'urgent review' of flood defences and drainage in Pontefract, Castleford and Five Towns

Flood warnings remain in place for areas of Castleford and Knottingley after days of heavy rain and snow.

Wakefield Council confirmed earlier this week that a "small number" of homes had been affected by surface water flooding.

Some of these properties had not previously been affected by flooding.

Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford MP Yvette Cooper is now calling for an urgent review of drainage and flood risk in the affected areas.

She said: "Flooding is an awful thing to happen, even worse when it spreads sewage too. Residents shouldn’t have to go through this.

"Huge thanks go to the fire service and council officers who worked tirelessly throughout the night to pump water away from peoples homes. I’ve called on Yorkshire Water to make sure there is a full and urgent clean up of all the affected areas.

"But it is also really worrying that this happened in the first place. We need an urgent review of the drainage and flood risk in those areas. I’m extremely concerned about the pumping station at the bottom of Castleford Road, and about the drains and run off arrangements put in place by developers around the new housing.

"I’m asking Yorkshire Water, Wakefield Council and the Environment Agency to do an urgent review on what is needed to prevent this happening on those streets again.”

Last year, the council confirmed that more than 6,600 homes in the Wakefield district are considered to be at permanent risk of flooding.