Yorkshire Water say work will be done on Hipperholme street after concerns raised over safety of pedestrians

A water leak and an uneven pavement on Whitehall Street has resulted in several people being injured by tripping or falling, and has been made worse by the recent freezing temperatures with people slipping on ice.

Hipperholme resident Ian King said: "For some two years I have been trying to get the leak fixed by Yorkshire Water and the drains unblocked by the council.

"Yorkshire Water say that the leak is due to the water table.

"The council attest that Whitehall Street is unadopted.

"The neighbour's say that the top of Whitehall Street is unadopted but below a row of bricks across the street is adopted.

"This matter dates back to the change from Brighouse Council to Halifax Council.

"Several injuries have been reported to elderly people, while someone hit their head due to the build up of ice.

"A 76 year old lady has been hospitalised.

"I have alerted Yorkshire Water and Calderdale Council today but I fear we will have more of the same inertia.

"The pavement outside the Indian restaurant has been like an ice rink, which constitutes a skid risk.

"What are Yorkshire Water doing about the leak?

"Can Calderdale Council grit and continue to grit the pavement?

"Already people have suffered injury, some of them pensioners.

"This matter is now urgent."

One nearby business owner, who did not want to be named, said: "Unfortunately there's been an ongoing problem for a few years with the pavement on the front where the shops are in Hipperholme.

"We've had a lady fall and break her hip. I myself tripped and damaged my knee and had treatment.

"There's been umpteen falls and trips and we did foresee and warn the council that the pavement was a ticking time bomb, especially with the addition of water spray and frost from the water leak.

"Four people fell in one day recently. I had to use a full bag of rock salt to make the pavement safe."I believe it's now only a matter of time before we have another sink hole on Whitehall Street or serious injury adjacent to the water leak. Sadly the council may then listen.

"An elderly lady fell on the ice recently and had a scan at hospital.

"The council and Yorkshire Water have done nothing and we can see water bubbling up through the tarmac and forming ice."I fear we may soon have a fatality."

But Yorkshire Water say they are now working on a solution to the problem.

A Yorkshire Water spokesperson said: “This leak is on a private water pipe, but due to the number of properties relying on it for water supply, we will be laying a new supply in the street.

"This will ensure resilience in the network and enable easier access should further work be required in the future. Our team is working hard to complete this as soon as possible.”

When contacted by the Courier, Calderdale Council said as the road is unadopted, it does not receive council maintenance.