£41m defences against floods now complete
A £41MILLION flood defence scheme which improves protection for more than 400 Calder Valley homes and businesses has been completed.
Mytholmroyd’s new flood defences were unveiled on Friday, October 1, after three years of construction work.
Funding for the scheme, which is designed to make the village more resilient against the impact of climate change, was secured after the devastating floods caused by Storm Eva on Boxing Day in 2015, when 2,781 homes and 1,008 businesses were affected throughout Calderdale.
When the storm hit, Mytholmroyd experienced its highest ever recorded flood and around 300 properties, 70 businesses, a church and two schools were damaged by the deluge.
The Environment Agency and Calderdale Council have overseen the project, which has seen engineers bolster flood walls, relocate the Caldene Bridge, widen the River Calder channel at two locations and flood-proof dozens of buildings.
Emma Howard Boyd, chair of the Environment Agency, said: “I first visited Mytholmroyd in the aftermath of Boxing Day 2015 and I am delighted this scheme has been conceived, designed and built since then. It provides better protection for the village and will also create valuable time for people to prepare when flooding is about to happen. Climate change is increasing the frequency and the severity of floods everywhere and everyone needs to adapt. The combination of engineered and natural approaches to flood risk here should inspire future projects.”
Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin said the flood defence scheme will protect the community from the “ever-growing threat of extreme flooding”.
She said: “We know that extreme weather and major floods are more likely to happen in future and, as Mayor, I will continue to work in partnership to ensure more communities around our region are better protected and to lobby Government for the funding we need.”
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