Calderdale flood defences attacked by vandals

The £41 million Mytholmroyd Flood Alleviation Scheme has been put forward for two categories of the Yorkshire and Humber Excellence in Construction awards.

But it is also facing some vandalism problems, said senior EA flood advisor Paul Swales.

Glass panels, which as well as forming part of the physical barrier of the scheme give it a sense of space and light, have been deliberately damaged.

“They will be repaired," said Mr Swales. “But it may be we need to find an alternative because it is already expensive to keep replacing these assets.”

The panels damaged recently are near the Shoulder of Mutton pub and behind the bus stop, where the old toilet block was before the scheme.

Mr Swales asked partners on Calderdale Flood Recovery and Resilience Programme Board for ideas on how they might deter people causing the damage.

Although the main Mytholmroyd project – the village was perhaps hardest hit in the 2015 and 2020 floods – is finished, some work is still ongoing on smaller schemes.

These include adding resilience at Burnley Road School. A meeting with interested companies has been arranged and work would have to be timed for one of the school’s holiday periods.