Town's flood defence work start delayed until 2028

An £81m flood alleviation scheme for Hebden Bridge is now unlikely to start until 2028, the Environment Agency (EA) has confirmed.

Earlier this year Calderdale Council's approved the plans to build new flood walls and vertical rising barriers in the town, as well as repairing and rebuilding existing defences.

Hebden Bridge was severely hit by flooding in 2000, 2006, 2012, 2015 and 2020.

It had been expected following the planning approval that work would start next year.

But podcaster Calderdale Inside Out reported on social media that the project had been delayed.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), the EA confirmed that construction would be likely to start in early 2028, subject to the completion of remaining approvals.

Under the plans, new flood walls will be built at St Pol car park, while new barriers will be put up on Old Gate and Bridge Gate. Five local weirs will be modified and existing structures will be repaired and replaced.

The plans have divided opinion in Hebden Bridge, with 44 people having supported the scheme, while 132 objections were submitted against it.

Speaking to the BBC in February, one shop owner said he was concerned about the impact the long-running works would have on trade.

However, local flood warden Andrew Entwistle, citing the "economic damage" and "psychological impact" of repeated flooding, said the scheme would "benefit everyone".

A spokesperson for the EA said it was "committed to deliver the Hebden Bridge Flood Alleviation Scheme and strengthen the town's defences against flooding from all sources".

"The challenges are significant, with the town's limited space, historic environment, ecological considerations, and the severe nature of flood events requiring carefully designed and often complex interventions.

They added: "We're combining new engineering schemes with natural flood management to help make communities more resilient."

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