Flood projects will get £2.7m boost
MORE cash has been approved to progress work on £60 millionworth of flood alleviation projects.
Calderdale Flood Recovery and Resilience Board approved £2.7 million to progress schemes at Hebden Bridge, Brighouse and a reservoir trial.
The estimated cost for the Hebden Bridge Flood Alleviation Scheme Main Works, excluding Stubbing Holme Road, has been updated in the light of further detailed design studies and – subject to putting the work out to tender – is £20.4 million
An extra £2.4 million has also been requested from remaining booster funding to support its delivery, an increase from £10.9 million to £13.3 million.
The board also approved an extra £179,000 increase in booster funding – from £127 million to £1.45 million – to help deliver phase one of the Brighouse Flood Alleviation Scheme.
It is planned to deliver the Brighouse scheme in phases, the first addressing flooding from the River Calder and lower Clifton Beck, the second creating storage for flood water to reduce the impact of flooding from the middle and lower Clifton Beck.
The booster funds will provide match funding which will allow the team working on the project to draw down £3.4 million of funding allowing a start on site later this year.
And with initial reservoir attenuation trial work during winter 2017-18 confirming it might deliver significant flood risk benefit to the Calder Valley, more work is required on design develop- ment, working alongside key partners to deliver and the board agreed to release £200,000 of booster funding to support it.
The work would mean Yorkshire Water leaving some extra capacity in its storage levels at reservoirs above the Calder Valley to allow for the amount of water extreme weather could bring.
When complete, the schemes for Mytholmroyd (approximately £32 million), Hebden Bridge (£20 million) and Brighouse (£10 million) will represent more than £60 million of investment in helping protect Calderdale from flooding, said Clr Barry Collins, who chaired the meeting.
“We are on target to deliver major schemes for Mytholmroyd, Hebden Bridge and Brighouse,” he said.
“These are enormous projects, fundamentally important to these communities.”