Hope repairs will begin on flood damaged Calderdale road that was closed a year ago

The A6025 Park Road between Elland and Brighouse suffered a landslip when Storm Ciara struck overnight on February 8 and 9, 2020.

It caused a landslip requiring a full closure of the road, footpath and nearby canal towpath.

The damage caused was extensive, with the main landslip extending around 50 metres along Park Road and a number of other smaller tension cracks.

A member of the public asked the question at the online question-and answer session about budget matters hosted on the council’s social media outlets last Thursday evening (Jan 27).

Cabinet member for Regeneration and Strategy, Coun Jane Scullion (Lab, Luddenden Foot) said the council had now got the money necessary to undertake the work, which it is estimated will cost around £2.25 million.

“It is out to tender and we hope to start after that,” she said.

Council Cabinet members had heard last summer when they approved proposals to repair – a process described as “complex” – and reopen the road that this would be unlikely to happen before spring 2021 with funding likely to be available but also a contributing issue.

Coun Scullion said: “We have been really pushing the Environment Agency and Government agencies to say ‘give us some money.’

“It looks as though it is paying off, Park Road is moving up the priority list,” she said.

Funding was often allocated on the number of homes and businesses affected, so that would be a factor with larger areas getting preference, said Coun Scullion,

“Hopefully, in budgets going forward, it is going to be a priority,” she said.

Design work for the repair should make the road more flood resilient in the future.