Work to further boost flood protection in Calderdale could soon be given the go ahead.
At Calderdale Council’s next Cabinet meeting on Monday 2 June 2025, Councillors will be asked to accept external grants worth nearly £2 million to strengthen flood defences and reduce the impacts of flooding in areas most at risk.
The proposed two-year flood risk management works programme would build on the substantial progress already made to strengthen defences, carry out natural flood management and improve community and infrastructure resilience.
Calderdale’s riverside communities and steep-sided valleys put the borough at a high, ongoing risk of flooding. Over the years, severe floods have caused devastating effects throughout Calderdale, and the impact of climate change makes the risk worse. On Boxing Day 2015 alone, over 3000 properties were flooded.
Together, Calderdale Council and its partner organisations on the Calderdale Flood Recovery and Resilience Programme Board have secured £133 million since 2012. They have put this to use through projects to help combat flood risk in line with the Calderdale Flood Action Plan.
There is still a lot of work to do to meet the challenges of flood risk in Calderdale, and to help make communities more resilient to the impacts of the climate emergency.
The Council has identified DEFRA Flood Defence Grant in Aid and the Yorkshire Region Flood and Coastal Committees (YRFCC) Local Levy as the main sources of funding for the new projects. This would provide nearly £2 million up until 2027, if approved by Cabinet Members and the funders.
Cllr Scott Patient, Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Action and Housing, said:
“I have heard countless stories of local people and businesses who have faced the devastation and upheaval of flooding in Calderdale. I’ve personally experienced flooding and have family and friends who have too.
“With climate change, the number of properties in areas at risk of flooding from surface water could increase by up to a third between 2040 and 2060. This shows how important it is to continue with our priority to take climate action.
“We know how much flood protection and resilience measures mean to our communities, and we continue to lobby for funding to make these happen. We’ve made great strides in this work as a partnership of organisations and communities, but there is still a lot to do. The proposed further work to strengthen flood defences aims to increase resilience to the impacts of the climate emergency.”
Calderdale Council’s Cabinet meeting will be held on Monday 2 June 2025 at Halifax Town Hall from 4pm. The meeting can also be viewed online at https://calderdale.public-i.tv/core/portal/home(external link)