Mirfield pub repeatedly hit by flooding to remain shut 'for foreseeable future'

The Ship Inn, on Steanard Lane, has been closed since late February when the River Calder burst its banks during Storm Franklin.

The inn, which is a Hungry Horse pub, has been repeatedly hit by flooding in recent years.

It was forced to close for more than 250 days in 2020 after being badly damaged in Storm Ciara in February of that year, and in 2016 it was shut for five months, resulting in a “near six figure sum” being spent on repairs and flood mitigation measures.

A Hungry Horse spokesperson said: “It is with great sadness that we informed our team at The Ship in Mirfield at the end of March that we are proposing to keep the pub closed for the foreseeable future due to the significant and ongoing problems with flooding at the site and the financial implications of repeated repairs.

“We are working closely with our team to support them as much as possible as we go through a consultation period.

"Our number-one aim is to protect jobs where possible and we will explore opportunities for people to transfer to other pubs we run in the local area.

“We would like to thank the Mirfield community for their continued support for the pub and our team.

"Proposals such as this are never easy and we hope to explore all of the options available during the consultation process.

"Significant investments have been made in the past in flood defences for the pub, however the latest flooding has caused further significant damage.”