‘We’re back open for business’: community rallies after storms
VOLUNTEERS have rallied round to help Calder Valley businesses get back up and running after the floods caused by Storm Ciara.
Hundreds of homes and businesses across towns including Hebden Bridge, Mytholmroyd, Todmorden, and parts of Brighouse and Elland, suffered devastating loss.
Since mid-February – after both Storm Ciara and last weekend’s Storm Dennis hit – Armed Forces, emergency service workers, flood wardens, and waves of volunteers mucked– in to get floodstricken towns’ shops and businesses open again.
Among the worst-hit areas of the Calder Valley was Mytholmroyd, which saw some businesses swamped with flooding of up to 10 inches, but in a very Yorkshire get-on-with-it attitude, businesses were up and running several days after one of the most serious floods to hit the region since the Boxing Day disaster of 2015.
Callum Faulds, 23, owner of Faulds barbers, in Burnley Road, said: “The floods have been brutal.
“The cost of damage is around £6,500 after losing stock and the floods leaving my shop’s sunbed useless. “We’ve now set up a GoFundMePage, which will help cover some of costs.
“For me, it’s business as usual and I’m already taking bookings again.”
A similar attitude was felt in neighbouring town Hebden Bridge where members of the public along with emergency services have been working night and day, and shown a real community spirit in the aftermath of Storm Ciara.
Aamir Yusuf, who owns Totally Awesome, on Market Street, in Hebden Bridge, said:
“There’s been a real pulling together by the community.
“We’re a popular shop for the children within the area, and because schools have been shut due to the floods, we had floods of children coming in to help with the clean-up operation.
“There’s been a huge priority felt by all to open up as soon as possible, and that has been massively helped by the outstanding community spirit shown in our town over the past few days.” Lisa Fox, Mr Yusuf ’s partner, said: “The shop was helped by our landlady Sharon Slater, who took all the stock from the floor and placed it up high.
“Quick-thinking like that has saved us hundreds maybe thousands of pounds in damaged stock.
“Seeing the children help us has really made feel that we kicked this storm right back.” Jake Kirkwood, owner of Book Case, also on Market Street, said: “I opened up this store in 2011 and have now suffered three major floods – in 2012, 2015, and this time round too.
“If we get to the point where there’s constant flooding, businesses will become fatigued but there’s a great community spirit present at this time.
“I’d argue because the people in Hebden Bridge have experienced floods, preparation this time round has been very efficient compared to 2015.
“The community coming together like it has done across areas Hebden Bridge, Mytholmroyd, and Todmorden is a great example for the rest of the UK if they get hit by floods. “It reminds me most people are still decent.”
John Ainscough, owner of Hebden Bridge’s Blazing Saddles, said: “The flood hasn’t been as damaging as the one in 2015, which I remember was apocalyptic.
“A lot shops in Hebden Bridge have bounced back because many of us have spent money of becoming more flood resilient.”
Mr Ainscough said he would like the Government to look at classing the district as a Tier 1 priority for flood defences during the forth coming budget.
Rachel Jones, who owns Weighsted, a zero-waste store that sells environmentally friendly, sustainable and biodegradable products on Bridgegate, has called on the public to show their support for the community by visiting the town as they normally would.
She said: “I thought I wouldn’t be open for a fortnight but I was back open within four days.
“I couldn’t be more grateful to people who have helped. I don’t even know some of the people who have helped.
“I can’t tell you the amount of people that have been round and said ‘can I help?’, and people with an hour in their lunch break and said ‘let me do something’.”
As the Calder Valley businesses opened their doors to the public, many feared the worst as Storm Dennis headed to the borough last weekend.
Although Storm Dennis promised much of the same, the damage suffered within the region was minimum compared to that left by Storm Ciara.
However, as a precaution the Army’s 4th Infantry was called in to construct and rebuild flood defences ahead of the expected deluge of heavy rain during the weekend.
Meanwhile, Burnley Road Academy has been forced to temporarily move facilities to the Moderna Business Park.
The Mytholmroyd primary school, which has 230 pupils, had to act quickly after suffering serious flooding to the ground floor and most of its classrooms.
Chair governor of the school, Karl Boggis said: “The Moderna industrial unit couldn’t be better for our school considering the circumstances.
“It provides suitable mixedability changing facility.
“The mood at the school is buoyant and I’d like to mention our headteacher Clare Cope did phenomenally well to get the Moderna unit when she did.
“What’s happened is devastating but not as bad as the damage sustained during the Boxing Day floods of 2015.
“We had an assessment which estimates we will be back at the school sometime during summer, but we’re hoping we can speed the process up and move back to the school in a couple of months.”
Calderdale Council confirmed this week flood-hit members of the public can now apply for up to £5,000 from the government to help make them more resilient to future flooding. The funding includes up to £500 financial hardship payments for households; and 100% council tax and business rates relief for at least three months for households and small-tomedium-sized businesses affected by flooding.