Bradford Road in Cleckheaton still closed after second major water burst

A councillor has called for Yorkshire Water to consider replacing the water main which runs through Cleckheaton town centre after a second major burst in a week.
Repairs being carried out on Bradford Road, Cleckheaton, on Friday following last Monday's water main burstRepairs being carried out on Bradford Road, Cleckheaton, on Friday following last Monday's water main burst
Repairs being carried out on Bradford Road, Cleckheaton, on Friday following last Monday's water main burst

The mains pipe on Bradford Road burst in the early hours of last Monday, October 4, causing water to pump into the street resulting in a major flood. A short time later there was a second burst on nearby Spen Lane.

The Bradford Road burst, near the Commercial pub, caused serious damage to the road surface and extensive repairs were needed after the burst was fixed.

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The main road was closed for a week and just as it was ready to re-open this morning (Monday, October 11) a second burst happened on the same stretch.

Repairs being carried out on Bradford Road, Cleckheaton, on Friday following last Monday's water main burstRepairs being carried out on Bradford Road, Cleckheaton, on Friday following last Monday's water main burst
Repairs being carried out on Bradford Road, Cleckheaton, on Friday following last Monday's water main burst

Bradford Road had to be closed again near The Obediah Brooke Wetherspoon’s pub in the centre of town, causing more disruption.

Cleckheaton Liberal Democrat councillor Baroness Kath Pinnock said it wasn’t the first time the main – which she said supplies water from Chellow Dene Reservoir at Allerton through to Dewsbury – had fractured.

“It happened about five years ago and it’s happened twice more,” she said. “Once or twice is maybe unfortunate but three times for this same stretch shows that something needs to be done.

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“We are waiting to hear from Yorkshire Water but it strikes me that the whole main needs to be replaced now.”

Coun Pinnock said there had been much disruption for shops and businesses in Cleckheaton and that couldn’t be allowed to keep happening.

“While the road was closed for a week local people will have known how to get around it but for people coming from out of town – and we get a lot of people travelling into Cleckheaton – it will have put them off.

“Traders are just recovering from the effects of the pandemic and don’t need any more disruption.”

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The latest burst did not cause much damage to the road surface and Yorkshire Water engineers were quickly on the scene as they were still working nearby.

Kirklees Council has put diversions in place and asked drivers to avoid the area.

A Yorkshire Water spokesman said: “Unfortunately our work on Bradford Road met complications as there was an additional burst on the network.

“We’d like to thank our customers for their patience whilst our team works hard to get it fixed and the road re-opened as soon as possible.”