Yorkshire Dales flooding repairs 'may reach £3m'

It could cost about £3m to repair flood-damaged roads and bridges in the Yorkshire Dales, the local MP said.

Rishi Sunak said it would be a "significant" cost, adding he was asking the government for financial support.

The Yorkshire Dales received a month's rainfall in a few hours on 30 July, causing widespread flooding.

The force of the water damaged roads and bridges and about 100 homes are thought to have flooded.

The Conservative MP for Richmond said the focus was now about reopening roads and restoring bridges in an area heavily dependent on tourism.

"We want tourists spending their money in the pubs and B&Bs and in order to have that we have to get back to normal and we need to get these bridges rebuilt and these roads reopened," he said.

The county council had said a temporary bridge would replace the destroyed bridge at Grinton within weeks.

Mr Sunak, who is Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said he had spoken to the Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps.

"They are actively looking at the support they could provide to rebuild the bridges at Grinton and Cogden and get those roads open.

"That would be a very significant cost for our community - £3m potentially."

Mr Sunak said he was also contacting the farming minister about the possibility of establishing a farming recovery fund.

Adam Bedford, regional director for the National Farmers Union, said: "Farmers face a loss of stock and fodder, destroyed walls and fences as well as tonnes of debris deposited across their land by the flood waters."

Mr Sunak said he had been "genuinely shocked" by the rainfall but praised people's "resilience and fortitude".

He said it had been "been humbling and inspiring" to see the community come together.

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