A COUNCIL has agreed to take action over a collapsing riverbank having put it off ‘for as long as possible’.

Pendle Council’s Policy and Resources Committee has agreed to spend £50,000 tackling subsidence on Colne Water which could causing flooding in nearby properties.

The collapse on the bank of the river is near Cotton Tree Lane on the Colne/Trawden border on land owned by Pendle Council.

Borough leader and committee chairman Cllr Mohammed Iqbal asked chief executive Dean Langton: “Have you found the money for this?”

He replied: “We have found it in reserves.

“We need to do this. We have put it off as long as possible.”

Boulsworth Tory Cllr Sarah Cockburn-Price said after the decision: “I am very grateful for this decision on behalf of the residents of Cotton Tree who are worried about flooding.

“A big thank you from the people of Boulsworth.”

A report from officers told councillors: “Progressive riverbank failure has been occurring at this location for a prolonged period due to the natural migration of the river. Collapsed masonry in the river channel poses a risk of potentially blocking the river channel which could lead to the flooding of numerous properties on Cotton Tree Lane.”

The committee agreed to spend £30,000 for short-term riverbank repairs and £20,000 for design work prior to a funding bid to the Environment Agency for a long-term solution.