Flood-hit valley to see vital work start on key streams and drains

Around £3m is being spent improving culverts, drainage channels and walls to direct water away from properties in the upper Calder Valley around Hebden Bridge and Todmorden.

Calderdale Council said around 10 schemes would protect over 400 homes, 150 businesses and transport routes.

Contracts for the work will be awarded this summer to allow works to begin in October. Some of the works will be carried out on steep hillsides around Todmorden and Hebden Bridge.

The focus will be on ensuring streams and culverts can cope with excessive rain.

Erringden hillside at Hebden Bridge, Bacup Road hillside at Todmorden, Pin Hill Lane, Midgley and Nutclough, Hebden Bridge, are among locations where work will take place.

It is two years since flooding hit the upper Calder Valley, including Hebden Bridge, and one year since the flooding in Walsden.

Calderdale Council’s Cabinet will mark these anniversaries with a review of the progress which has been made to reduce the risk and impact of future flooding.

Council leader councillor Tim Swift said: “We have done a great deal of research to understand why the flooding happened, where we are vulnerable and what solutions we can provide to give better defence to these areas in the future. We are now into Phase 3 of our programme, which is about longer term investment.

“This will start with the delivery of around 10 flood risk reduction schemes, worth £3m. The work will protect over 400 homes, 150 businesses and the transport routes which are so vital to support them.”

Further details of each scheme will be available on the council website later this month.

A website is being developed which will act as a single source of information during a flood emergency.