How demolition of Shade Chapel will protect more Calderdale homes from flooding

Shade Chapel in Todmorden was demolished by the Environment Agency at the end of last month as part of urgent repair work to help reduce flood risk.

The removal of the building, at Rochdale Road, means the culvert beneath it can now be strengthened and opened up to allow water to flow more freely down the channel, removing the risk of it collapsing in the future and reducing flood risk to properties in the area.

Officers from the Environment Agency worked closely with Calderdale Council and various contractors including Arcadis, BAM Nuttall and ARUP to make sure the work was carried out safely and traffic management was put in place.

Tony Hartley, project manager with the Environment Agency, said: “Work is progressing well to reduce flood risk in Todmorden. Unfortunately we had to demolish the chapel to carry out this vital work, but this now means that 250 properties will be better protected.

“We would like to thank the local community for their patience during this work and apologise for any inconvenience caused by the road closures that were needed to keep people safe.

“If anyone would like to hear more about our plans, or has any questions or concerns, do join us at our virtual public meeting.”

The virtual meeting will be held online on Tuesday December 15, 6pm to 7.30pm, via the zoom platform. To join, log on to https://zoom.us/signin and use: Meeting ID: 846 7624 1093 Passcode: 245648.

The next stage of the work will start in January and involve using the stone from Shade Chapel to repair channel walls to create an aesthetically pleasing stretch of river.

The culvert will be uncovered up to the boundary of Shade Chapel school and scour protection will be installed to the river walls and bed. Two areas of the river banks will be landscaped for use by the local community.

Environment Agency officers will continue carry out regular inspections of the culvert to ensure its safety.

All works will be carried out in line with the latest guidance from Public Health England regarding safe working on construction sites.