WORK is due to start in Earby to reduce the risk of flooding to 91 homes and 17 businesses.

The £1 million culvert repair project is due to start on Monday and is expected to take 13 weeks to complete.

Environment Agency contractors, JBA Bentley, will be on site to carry out work to make Victoria Clough culvert structurally sound.

A new culvert will be installed beneath the disused railway embankment to replace the existing one which has collapsed.

The team will also re-line or replace a number of sections along the length of the culvert at locations under Victoria Road and the A56 Skipton Road.

A new and improved trash screen will also be fixed at the inlet of the culvert, to help reduce the risk of it becoming blocked with debris and making it easier and safer to clear when water levels are high.

During the work, there will be disruption to traffic using the A56 and Victoria Road. There will need to be road closures on Valley Road and New Road with local diversions and temporary traffic lights put in place, and some parking restrictions on Victoria Road.

Paul Swales, flood risk advisor at the EA, said: “Earby has suffered devastating flooding over recent years, most notably the Boxing Day 2015 flood. We’re pleased to be starting this repair work which will bring significant flood risk benefits to homes and businesses.

“We understand this traffic management could cause some inconvenience so we will do all we can to minimise this disruption as much as possible. We’d like to thank residents and businesses for their patience and understanding while we carry out this work to reduce flood risk.”

Funding for the project comes from £813,000 of Grant in Aid and £200,000 of Yorkshire Local Levy.

Since the floods of Boxing Day 2015, the EA has worked with Pendle Council, Lancashire County Council and Yorkshire Water to develop schemes to reduce flood risk in Earby.

The EA continues to explore other options to reduce flood risk from all sources in and around Earby. Over the next 12 months, the team will investigate the options in more detail, which include flood storage areas on Earby Beck, the New Cut and Victoria Clough and installing a flood defence wall at Boot Street.

Pendle MP Andrew Stephenson said: “I’m delighted this vital work is finally getting under way. Along with ward councillors I’ve been pressing the Environment Agency to get on with this work.

“I also brought the Flood Minister, MP Thérèse Coffey, to Earby to show her first-hand the impact the delays were having. I’m pleased our pressure has paid off and work will now commence on this significant investment in Earby.”