A new strategy to manage flood risk in the Calder Valley will be discussed by Calderdale Council’s Cabinet on Monday 14 November 2016.
As the lead Local Flood Authority, the Council has a duty under the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 to develop, maintain, apply and monitor the Local Flood Risk Management Strategy.
The Cabinet will be asked to approve the strategy, which has been developed after extensive analysis of the causes of the flooding on Boxing Day 2015 and after consultation during the summer.
The strategy will help the Council, and partners such as the Environment Agency, Canal & River Trust and Yorkshire Water(external link), to manage the flood risk in Calderdale, including flooding from surface water, ground water and ordinary watercourses, such as rivers and streams.
It identifies the actions that the Council will need to take over the coming years to introduce an improved and more sustainable approach to flood risk management, which works with nature.
The strategy will help the Council plan for the potential impact of climate change and of further development across the borough:
- · It builds a better understanding of flood risk issues
- · Takes steps to reduce flood risk in Calderdale
- · Recommends schemes that will manage residual flood risk
- · Ensures communities are better prepared for flood events
Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Economic Development, Cllr Barry Collins said:
“We face tough challenges if we are to make sure that flooding does not continue to have such a devastating impact on our residents and businesses, and on the economic future of our local towns. Estimates suggest that the damage caused by the Boxing Day floods amounts to a staggering £150million across Calderdale.
“This strategy is a vital tool in helping us to understand, and then work to mitigate, the consequences of these increasingly frequent incidents of severe weather.”
Once approved the flood risk management strategy will be formally reviewed in three years. Actions from the strategy will be combined with the Environment Agency’s Catchment Plan, which was announced on 28 October 2016, to create an action plan which will better protect Calderdale communities.
Calderdale Council’s Cabinet will be asked to approve the Calderdale Local Flood Risk Management Strategy at the next Cabinet meeting, which will be held at 6pm on Monday 14 November 2016 at Halifax Town Hall. The strategy will then be recommended for consideration by Full Council.