Calder Valley flood scheme completed

The roads in and around Todmorden have suffered major flooding in the past but the recent improvements to a 2.2-mile stretch of Bacup Road withstood the Boxing Day floods.

Improvements to flood defences have been made along a 2.2-mile section of Bacup Road in Todmorden, between Gauxholme and the Todmorden Astronomy Centre on the Yorkshire-Lancashire border.

The work, which has sought to better manage water coming off the moors and to improve the capacity of existing culverts, is designed to shield properties and businesses in the area from a repeat of the destructive flooding of 2012 and 2013.

Twenty-two locations along Bacup Road were targeted for the improvements which have see new road drains installed, and headwall structures and trash screens placed at culverts so any debris that could heighten flood risk can be safely accessed and removed.

In December, although only partially complete, the Bacup Road scheme was put to the test during the floods that caused such much devastation elsewhere in the region, but the improvements prevented local properties from suffering likewise.

The scheme was developed by the Environment Agency and Calderdale Council.

James Walton, project manager at the Environment Agency, said: “The contractor worked in particularly challenging environments to construct these schemes and we were grateful for the patience shown by local residents and the co-operation of landowners to enable the works to be carried out.”

Calderdale Council leader, Councillor Tim Swift, said: “We’re pleased that the scheme is now complete and has already proven to be effective, as part of the Council and Environment Agency’s joint work to help reduce flood risk.

“It’s not possible to totally remove the risk of flooding, so we encourage residents and businesses to do all they can to be prepared, reduce their own risk and keep up to date with flooding related information at www.calderdale.gov.uk/flooding.”

The next programme of medium-scale work that is being developed as part of the Upper Calder flood risk reduction scheme is one that will reduce the risk of flooding along the A646 trunk road which regularly floods between Hebden Bridge and Todmorden in the dip outside Brearley Mills, Eastwood.

A scheme is also proposed along the same trunk road at Woodland View.