Work on the first phase of new flood resilience schemes to improve protection to more than 450 properties in the Upper Calder Valley is set to start.
The Environment Agency is working with Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council, Yorkshire Water and the Canal & River Trust to deliver a series of projects that will reduce the risk of flooding from surface water and river flooding.
At Shop Lock in Todmorden, work will be undertaken to prevent water from Rochdale Canal from flooding the car park and surrounding properties at Lever Street.
The Rochdale and Bacup Road areas of Todmorden will be protected from hill run-off through improvements to culverts and gullies that convey the water from tributary streams into Midgelden Brook.
At Pin Hill Lane in Midgley, new surface water drainage will be installed to direct flows into a new flood storage area in Lane Ends fields, protecting properties on Solomon Hill, Duke Street and Railes Close.
The Nutclough area of Hebden Bridge will be better protected by the construction of a new screen and overflow in the lower reservoir as well as collector drains in Nutclough Road and Keighley Road. This will protect properties on Keighley Road, Bridge Gate and St George’s Square.
James Walton, project manager at the Environment Agency, said:
“This new programme of works is designed to tackle flood risk from a number of different sources in the Upper Calder Valley.
“Whilst we will never be able to completely remove the risk of flooding, we are committed to developing solutions that will provide an improved level of protection to as many properties as possible.
“We are gearing up over the next few weeks to enable us to start construction at the various sites.”
The Upper Calder Valley flooded in 2012 and 2013, with more than a thousand residential and commercial properties damaged. Major transport routes throughout the valley were also badly affected.
The Leader of Calderdale Council, Cllr Stephen Baines, said:
“Since the devastating flooding of 2012 and 2013 we’ve invested heavily in protecting the Upper Calder Valley from further incidents of flooding. These flood resilience schemes should further improve the protection for the vulnerable areas, reducing the risk for properties that have previously suffered from flood damage.”
For more information about ongoing work to reduce the risk of flooding in Calderdale please visit http://www.calderdale.gov.uk/environment/flooding/future.html