Project Overview

This project is being showcased as part of UKGBC’s Biodiversity and Environmental Net Gain Project.

The EA is leading the enhancement of flood management in the Calder Valley with a major programme of work, supported by the government, for Calderdale. Part of the programme seeks to reduce the risk of flooding in Brighouse, through the repair and renewal of existing flood defence assets, provision of new assets and by improving surface water drainage in the town. A wide range of potential options for delivering enhanced flood protection to properties within Brighouse have been considered. 

The Scheme can be broken down into the following high-level interventions on Clifton Beck and Hoyle House Beck respectively: 

  • Creation of landscape-based natural flood attenuation features in Wellholme Park (east of Clifton Beck channel) and a fish by-pass channel; and  
  • Creation of landscape-based flood attenuation features north of Hoyle House Beck, comprising a series of off-line bunds and interconnecting channel and flow controls, within Whinney Park.  

Key Sustainability Objectives/outcomes and Approaches Used

Biodiversity Net Gain 

Use of Natural Flood Management (NFM) in place of hard engineering, to alleviate flood risk whilst also delivering biodiversity gains and improved amenity provision for the local community. 

  • Achieves 50% net gain for habitats and 16% net gain for rivers. 
  • Improves fish passage by bypassing a weir and fish pass through a ford. 
  • Creates a mosaic of wet grassland within the flood storage area. 
  • Improves habitat connectivity along Clifton Beck and Hoyle House Beck.  
  • Balances with amenity use of park.  

Lessons Learnt

The value of combining hard engineering approaches (wider scheme also involves repair/refurbishment of existing River Calder flood defences within the town of Brighouse) with NFM interventions upstream. 

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