Flood defence hopes for landslip-hit road
WORK is beginning on producing an outline business case to fund a flood alleviation scheme to help an area of Elland.
Park Road has been badly affected by flooding in recent years when severe weather has hit Calderdale, including the February 2020 flood causing landslip damage which resulted in the route, one which links Brighouse to Elland and the rest of Calderdale, to close for two years.
Homes have also been affected and although once ruled out, plans are being made to provide a flood alleviation scheme for the area.
At Calderdale Council’s Flood Recovery and Resilience Programme Board, Paul Swales of the Environment Agency (EA) reported colleagues from the EA, Calderdale Council and Yorkshire Water are meeting to agree the next steps towards putting a case for funding together. They have agreed to start producing a strategic outline case this month, sharing data to support it.
Coun Jane Scullion (Lab, Luddenden Foot) said it was sensible and fair to residents to do this.
The road closure had also been problematic and it took a long time to get the funding to do the job.
“What we realised is the economic importance of that road, a key road between Brighouse and Elland.
“It is important in terms of the economic activity as well as the sheer inconvenience for residents. It is such a key arterial road,” she said.
A scheme was considered but initially abandoned as the cost-benefit ratio funding requirement could not be met.
Previously the board had heard the initial proposals would have looked to try and contain the River Calder in its channel – in times of flood it has overflowed into the Calder and Hebble
Navigation canal and then onto Park Road, affecting properties which did not previously flood.
But lobbying from councillors and agencies’ recognition that flooding risk in the area needed to be reduced, and that surface water issues were also a problem.