Calderdale Council and MPs join forces in fight to get more Government cash in aftermath of floods

Calderdale Council and both the area’s MPs are working together to lobby Government for more cash in the aftermath of devastating flooding Storm Ciara brought to the area.
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The flooding on Sunday saw around 500 homes and 400 business impacted and infrastructure seriously damaged.

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Calder Valley MP Craig Whittaker praises the community and agency response to de...

Leader of the Council Coun Tim Swift (Lab, Town) also warned that, following incidents in 2012 and Boxing Day 2015, and another two major flood alerts when sirens were sounded in the past year, emergencies like this were frequently affecting lives in Calderdale, financially and in terms of people’s mental health.

Residents begin clearing up following severe flooding beside the River Calder on February 10, 2020 in Mytholmroyd, (Photo by Anthony Devlin/Getty Images)Residents begin clearing up following severe flooding beside the River Calder on February 10, 2020 in Mytholmroyd, (Photo by Anthony Devlin/Getty Images)
Residents begin clearing up following severe flooding beside the River Calder on February 10, 2020 in Mytholmroyd, (Photo by Anthony Devlin/Getty Images)
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He told Cabinet members when they met last night (Monday, Feb 10): “After the 2015 floods we started to move to a model of recognising this wasn’t a one-off event and was about the nature of life in Calderdale and the way we have been impacted by a changing climate.

“It’s clear this for us is a challenge that’s quite different to other parts of the country.

“There is a potential of it being a fairly regular occurrence – we’ve had three major flooding incidents in less than ten years,” he said.

This needed to be recognised by Government.

Coun Swift, who with the council’s Chief Executive Robin Tuddenham met the Chief Executive of the Environment Agncy, Sir James Bevan, in Mytholmroyd on Monday, said after the 2015 floods Government had responded with some support for residents and businesses fairly quickly, and with capital investment for flood alleviation works.

The council had also been able to make funds available.

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He had written to Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Robert Jenrick, pressing Calderdale’s claim. Government also needed to provide revenue funding support, said Coun Swift.

MPs Holly Lynch (Lab, Halifax) and Craig Whittaker (Con, Calder Valley) were working with the council to argue Calderdale’s case, said Coun Swift.

Coun Jane Scullion (Lab, Luddenden Foot) – one of three Cabinet members who live in flood affected areas alongside Coun Scott Patient (Luddenden Foot) and Coun Susan Press (Lab, Todmorden), with another Cabinet member, Coun Adam Wilkinson (Lab, Sowerby Bridge) representing another – said there had to be some “soul searching” in Government about the costs visited on Calderdale in terms of its affect on people, their mental health, and the council’s budgets.

“It’s not fair that one council or even our little group of West Yorkshire councils, if we have to bear the whole cost of this manifestation of climate change.

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“It’s not fair – that is what general taxation is for,” she said.

Coun Patient warned colleagues that it was clear putting up infrastructure on its own was not enough and how communities managed the whole catchment was increasingly important.