Calderdale flood board 'will not let up' in protecting the borough from future disasters

But Calderdale Flood Recovery and Resilience Programme Board would not let up on extending protection further and seeking funding to help do it, members heard.

Chief Executive of Calderdale Council, Robin Tuddenham, said a lot of work had been done including very important intervention from Government following the Boxing Day 2015 floods.

MORE NEWS: What progress has been made since the launch of the Calderdale flood Action Plan three years ago

“I think we have made the funding work – we have spent all the grants for businesses and residential properties fully and appropriately, worked with Leeds City Region, put in various schemes in-house and talks with Ministers are continuing, that is significant and the contributions of all of us is important,” he said.

But as the number of flooding “near misses” in the last 18 months had shown it was an ongoing task.

“It is long term, it is continuous, it is the defining issue of this place and we will not let it drop.

“It is about continuing to make the case for Calderdale,” said Mr Tuddenham.

Adrian Gill of the Environment Agency said: “There is still lots more to do but the work is challenging.

“The question to pose to the board is how can we remain focused and look up from the enormity of work we are doing and what else we need to be doing.

“I think there is more we can do around the climate, developing a carbon neutral programme

Coun Rob Holden (Ind, Ryburn) said a missing piece that was starting to drop into place was upland farmland, with many now not being farmed – one of the big challenges was knowledge of where land drains were in those areas, which was being lost to a large extent, making mapping them an enormous task.

By 2021 £84 million will have been spent to improve defences across the Calder Valley by 2021 and some European funding which UK areas are still eligible for is still being sought.

Progress on flood allevation schemes were reported to the board, including around 1,100 gullies being repaired or upgraded, four sections of the Mytholmroyd project complete or nearly completed, Hebden Bridge at detailed design stage with outline business case approval being sought, and bids put in for funds for Brighouse.

National Flood Management schemes have continued apace with funds released for landowners to do work on their land, although there is still a lot to be done,

Within 18 months of the Boxing Day 215 floods, £25 million Department of Transport funding has been invested in repairs ans reconstructions, the meeting heard.

Thousands of assets had been inspected and refurbished, including mapping of old structures which are at risk, and £2.6 million had been given out in grants to small busineses and £6 million of work done to make around 1,300 homes more resilient.

More than 60 flood wardens across Calderdale have become a key component of information on the ground during incidents and amental health scheme piloted in Todmorden was being expanded. The Calder Valley Flood Support Facebook page first set up after flooding in 2012 was a go-to recource for all agencies when incidents unfolded.

Board chair, Coun Tim Swift (Lab, Town), said: “That’s a good reminder of the scale of what has been done. In terms of physical work, we’re about half way through.”