Plans for £30 million Hebden Bridge Flood Alleviation Scheme set to be submitted later this year

Preparation work for the £30 million Hebden Bridge Flood Alleviation Scheme has been continuing all year.

Environment Agency senior adviser Paul Swales said the EA was looking to submit a planning application later this year and a “good sized” public event would be held to publicise this.

Flood board partners have been warned the complexity of the scheme is likely to push costs up, as is infationary pressure, for example on materials.

Mr Swales said some wall construction at the Adult Learning Centre and Vale Centre was due to be completed by the end of July, the fluvial design for the scheme was nearly complete with surface water scheme designs and integrated catchment models completed.

The models were being used to refine the design.

Engagement with stakeholders in the scheme was continuing and partners were still looking to establish a public engagement hub in the town for people to be able to call in and ask questions.

Regardless, from August the EA would have a presence at Hebden Bridge Town Hall each Monday from 10am to 2pm where people could call in, said Mr Swales.

In related schemes, detailed designs were almost completed for the Erringden Hillside scheme and a planning application could be submitted this summer.

Natural flood management opportunities were being explored with a local landowner and Calderdale Council as part of the Erringden scheme.

A Rochdale canal overflow project was now being included as part of the Erringden scheme, said Mr Swales, with work to start on it this summer.

It would mean some canal towpath diversion disruption, he warned.

Reporting on the other Hebden Bridge scheme, for the Stubbing Holme Road area, the EA was looking at modelling for the turning circle area on the approach to the town to ensure some properties, for example Mytholm Meadows, were not put at risk.

“We are liaising with people directly affected by the works and again there will be a public event,” said Mr Swales.

A full business case and construction of Erringden elements was likely to start later this year, members of Calderdale Flood Recovery and Resilience Programme Board heard.

Work with Yorkshire Water on drawdown in the reservoirs above Hebden Bridge was complex due to possible impact on water supply but was a scheme at the forefront of a national review on what might be done – the proposal is to lower levels by ten per cent to give extra capacity at times of flooding.

Coun Steven Leigh (Con, Ryburn) felt helping reduce flooding was the important factor but Yorkshire Water’s Granville Davies, understanding where Coun Leigh was coming from, said it was complex because maintaining a water supply was a legal obligation.