Warning over dangerous flooding on road between Barnoldswick and Thornton-in-Craven

A Lancashire county councillor has called for urgent action to tackle persistent flooding on a road on the Lancashire-North Yorkshire border, warning that motorists are at risk of a serious accident.

Coun. David Whipp has urged Lancashire County Council and North Yorkshire Council to work together to resolve drainage problems at Ghyll Brow, between Thornton-in-Craven and Barnoldswick, on the B6252.

He said deep standing water regularly gathers on both sides of the road, creating a potential hazard for drivers travelling along the route.

“There's dangerous flooding at the administrative boundary between North Yorkshire and Lancashire at Ghyll Brow, between Thornton-in-Craven and Barnoldswick on the B6252,” said Coun Whipp.

“Deep standing water frequently covers both sides of this high-speed road. There's a huge risk of people driving into the flood unawares.

“The Gill culverted under the road is the boundary between the two councils. I don't know if the shared responsibility is holding up effective drainage work – but it needs doing before there's a serious crash.”

Coun. Whipp said water runs off land on both sides of the county boundary into a dip in the road, with previous investigations indicating that the drainage system needs to be upgraded to cope with the volume of water.

He believes the work should be relatively straightforward, with a solution already identified.

“Water drains from both sides of the boundary into the dip. Previous investigations indicate the drainage system needs upsizing to get the water away, but this would be relatively simple – there is a solution,” he said.

He has called on the two authorities to work together to address the problem, pointing to a previous flooding incident which resulted in a fatality on the North Yorkshire side of the gill.

“It's a very serious issue,” he added.

The location has featured in previous concerns raised by Coun Whipp about flooding across West Craven and the Lancashire-Yorkshire border.

In January 2025, he highlighted repeated flooding at Ghyll and other locations around Thornton-in-Craven, Barnoldswick and Earby, calling for action from both county councils.

He also warned at the time that water collecting on roads, including the A56 at Sough, was creating risks for motorists and, in some cases, causing flooding to nearby properties.

More recently, in February this year, the councillor raised concerns about blocked road drains in Barnoldswick and Earby, claiming changes to Lancashire County Council's maintenance arrangements had contributed to hazardous conditions during freezing weather.

He highlighted problems on Manchester Road in Barnoldswick, where water emerging from a blocked gulley could travel along the road before freezing, creating an icy surface.

Coun. Whipp has also been campaigning for improvements to drainage on the M65 between Burnley and Colne, where persistent flooding has prompted safety concerns and calls for significant investment.

Lancashire County Council has a backlog of hundreds of highway drainage schemes, with the estimated cost of the outstanding work exceeding £7m.

Coun. Whipp called for an increase in the county council's drainage budget earlier this year, arguing that more investment is needed to tackle flooding problems and improve road safety.