A Thornton allotment group is battling years of worsening flooding that has devastated plots, destroyed fruit trees and left a well-used public footpath virtually unusable during winter.
Top Royd Allotments is now hoping to complete a major drainage project aimed at tackling the problem, which members say has plagued the site for more than a decade.
Linda Scott, chairman of Top Royd Allotments, said natural springs above the site have always existed, but the situation has deteriorated significantly over the years.
Standing water at Top Royd Allotments highlights the scale of the flooding problem facing the Thornton site. (Image: Linda Scott)
Ms Scott said: "The flooding really began about 15 years ago when a previous tenant using the field above damaged some of the drainage infrastructure. With the increasing winter rainfall over the last few years, the flooding has worsened and the water just runs like a torrent down our paths and through our allotments."
Footpath left 'practically impossible' to use
Ms Scott told the T&A that flooding has extended beyond the allotments themselves, now affecting a permissive footpath running through the centre of the site.
The route is regularly used by residents travelling between Upper and Lower Thornton, as well as dog walkers and visitors heading to the Brontë Way, bowling club, cemetery and nearby recreation facilities.
Volunteers work on drainage improvements at Top Royd Allotments as part of efforts to reduce flooding across the Thornton site. (Image: Linda Scott)
Ms Scott said: "During the winter there can be water running down the track and mud more than six inches deep. It makes the footpath practically impossible to use at times."
Volunteers dig drainage channels by hand
In an effort to tackle the issue, the allotment association has already spent around £4,500 from its own reserves on a French drainage system after receiving guidance from Bradford Council's flooding and water management team.
The project involves capturing water from the natural springs and diverting it through a network of drainage channels and pipes into the mains system.
Floodwater runs through a plot at Top Royd Allotments, where members say severe waterlogging has damaged crops and fruit trees. (Image: Linda Scott)
Volunteers have spent weekends working alongside a drainage engineer, manually digging trenches across the site.
Ms Scott said: "We've had volunteers out with pickaxes, spades and buckets digging the drainage channels by hand to develop the network and repair the drainage system."
Funding would help complete final phase
The group has received support from a number of organisations, including a £400 Community Chest grant from Bradford West Area Co-ordinator's Office and a further £400 grant from St James Church in Thornton.
Water flows along a path at Top Royd Allotments. Members say flooding can leave parts of the site difficult to access during winter months. (Image: Linda Scott)
Top Royd Allotments is now seeking further funding to complete the final phase of the scheme.
Ms Scott said: "It would make a fantastic difference for allotment holders, visitors and the wider Thornton community who use the footpath, and we'd also be able to restore our community orchard."
The group hopes completing the drainage system will protect allotment plots, improve public access and secure the future of its community orchard for years to come.