Chapel to be demolished to help protect Calder Valley from flooding

The building is being taken down following significant damage to the culvert bed, walls and support beams during floods earlier this year.

A section of Rochdale Road near Shade Chapel will be closed to traffic and pedestrians over the weekend, from 8pm on Friday November 27 until 6am on Monday November 30, so that the work can be carried out safely.

There won’t be any access for vehicles, except for emergency services and residents along Knowlwood Road.

Warning signs will be in place to give motorists advanced warning of the work and traffic will be able to follow diversion signs. Letters are being sent out by the Environment Agency’s project team this weekend to affected residents to let them know details of the work. A map showing the affected area is available at www.eyeoncalderdale.com

Once the chapel has been demolished, work will continue to be carried out on the site with a single road closure and traffic lights in place along Rochdale Road.

This includes removing the remaining sections of culvert up to Shade Chapel school and remedial works to the sides of the channel.

Tony Hartley, project manager with the Environment Agency, said: “Removing the chapel will allow the water to flow more freely through the open channel removing the risk of it collapsing in the future and flooding the local area.

“If we had not carried out this vital work, around 250 properties in the area would be at risk of flooding as the building is not stable and the river could be blocked.

“The end result will be an aesthetically pleasing stretch of river using the stonework of Shade Chapel.

“We are also working with Shade Primary School and Incredible Edible to develop plans for landscaping options on either side of the river channel to provide useful areas for the local community. “

“We are aware of the ongoing work in the area at Gauxholme Viaduct and are working closely with Network Rail to minimise any disruption to the community where we can.”

Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Resilience, Cllr Scott Patient, said:

“The severe flooding in February this year caused major damage to the culvert beneath Shade Chapel, meaning the building became unstable. The loss of the chapel is incredibly sad, but unfortunately demolition is the only option.

“Large machinery will be needed to quickly and safely demolish the building, so it will be necessary for Rochdale Road to close whilst the works are carried out.

Once demolished, the risk of future flooding will be reduced and the area will be landscaped. I’m pleased that the Environment Agency plan to use the stone from the chapel as part of the work.”

Throughout the late spring and summer, contractors BAM Nuttall employed by the Environment Agency, carried out urgent work to prevent the collapse of Shade Chapel into Walsden Water. They temporarily replaced the culvert walls and ceiling under the Chapel.

Unfortunately the damage to the culvert and building is too extensive to repair and the plan is now to demolish the building and open up this stretch of river.

Earlier this month a section of the flood wall, which is structurally part of Todmorden Market Hall, was reinforced as a precaution to make sure it was robust to help better protect the town ahead of the forecast for heavy rain.