Background to the Aire Resilience Company (ARC)

Leeds is home to more than 800,000 people, and a diverse range of businesses and industries. All of whom are either directly or indirectly impacted by the River Aire.
The River Aire historically provided a huge economic benefit to Leeds shaping its industry and providing a means for the transport of goods and produce. It has also provided a scenic backdrop to the wider area and contributed to Leeds being a desirable place to live and work. However, the Aire also poses a risk of flooding to the city.
To future-proof Leeds' flood defences against the long-term impact of climate change, the work to address climate change needs to happen further upstream.
The Aire Resilience Company can do this using its sustainable business model. This is delivered through a not-for-profit Community Interest Company (CIC) that will facilitate the delivery and maintenance of Natural Flood Managment (NFM) measures throughout the Aire catchment, to reduce the risk of flooding caused by climate change.

Our Story

On Boxing Day 2015, Storm Eva, a 1-in-200-year storm, brought major flooding across Leeds and its surrounding areas. Over 4000 homes and 2000 businesses were flooded. In excess of £500m damage was caused, not to mention the immeasurable impact on people’s lives and livelihoods.

This was not a one-off event, flooding is evident throughout Leeds’ history and more recently, Storm Ciara resulted in severe flooding across the region in 2020, whilst in 2023, as a result of flooding caused by Storm Gerrit rail services into Leeds were cancelled.

The Leeds Flood Alleviation scheme (LFAS)
Leeds has not stood still in the face of this flood risk; the £200million Leeds Flood Alleviation scheme (LFAS) was completed in 2024 -  funded by the Environment Agency, Leeds City Council, WYCA and others including the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership, the European Regional Development Fund, Network Rail, The Woodlands Trust and more.. Designed to protect Leeds from another storm of the magnitude of Storm Eva, this hard-engineered scheme uses concrete and steel defences to protect the city against flooding. Already, these defences have been mobilised on several occasions to minimise the impact of very high river levels on Leeds’ infrastructure, business and communities.

Despite their design including an allowance for increased volumes of water due to climate change, there is a limit to how much additional water the defences can manage before they are overtopped.

Climate change modelling carried out on behalf of LFAS tells us that by 2069, a storm equivalent to Storm Eva on Boxing Day 2015, will send 8% more water rushing through Leeds at its peak. Even less violent storms in the future will bring much increased amounts of water compared to now.

 

Nature-based approaches to mitigate climate change
LFAS has been planting trees and improving land management in the Upper Aire to lower the ‘peak flow’ of water passing through Leeds during extended periods of heavy rain.

This nature-based approach enables the landscape to intercept and better absorb heavy rainfall, slowing it down and preventing it from running straight off the land and into the river system. To protect Leeds and the surrounding area against the impact of climate change will require a large-scale approach to be taken to install sufficient measures, and to make sure they are in the right places in the Aire Valley to have the greatest effect.

However, there are not sufficient monies available to complete this work AND to make sure that these measures, when in place, are properly maintained and replaced when necessary. Climate change brings a long-term challenge, and we must develop long-term approaches to managing its consequences. This means if Leeds and the Aire Valley are to build resilience against the impact of climate change on the risk of flooding, there is a crucial role for businesses based in Leeds to be a part of the plan if we are to achieve the scale of delivery necessary.

 

Establishing The Aire Resilience Company (ARC)
ARC has been developed, based on the successful delivery of similar projects in England (including on the River Wyre in the North West). We have built an innovative and sustainable approach to delivering improvements in the landscape that will reduce the risk of flooding in Leeds whilst achieving significant benefits to the businesses and communities. Supported by Leeds City Council, the Environment Agency, and the Regional Flood and Coastal Committee (RFCC), the project has built a strong business case and financial model. This is underpinned by robust hydrological modelling which proves the case for ARC.