'We need to keep our communities safe from flooding' plea from regional leaders

Mayor Tracy Brabin described the 2015 floods as a turning point.

Since taking office, she has spearheaded the West Yorkshire Flood Innovation Partnership, bringing together more than 50 organisations - from councils and universities to the Environment Agency and Yorkshire Water - in an unprecedented regional effort to reduce flood risk.

She said: “They brought devastating damage to thousands of homes and businesses.

“A memory that still lives with us today.”

Coun Jane Scullion, leader of Calderdale Council and chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Climate Committee, said the floods forced councils and communities to rethink long-held assumptions about how water moves across the landscape.

It comes as senior leaders from across West Yorkshire are set to meet today to mark the tenth anniversary of the Boxing Day floods of 2015 - and discuss what more needs to be done to support communities.

She said: “We realised that flooding was no longer something that was just happening down in valley bottoms.

“You could be living on the tops and you could still be flooded because of the sheer volume of water coming down the hill.”

The combined approach championed by the leaders now blends “hard engineering” with natural flood management.

Walls, pumps, and barriers are being paired with tree planting, sphagnum moss restoration, leaky dams, and wetland creation designed to slow water flow and give communities more time to respond.

Coun Scullion highlighted the role of community groups, such as Slow the Flow in Calderdale, in implementing nature-based solutions.

She said: “Tree roots soak up an enormous amount of water.

“We’ve been working with groups on leaky dams and other solutions to give people more time to prepare.”

Investment in people and training has been another major focus.

Prior to 2015, Calderdale had only a handful of flood wardens; that number has grown to around 100.

Coun Scullion said: “They keep people safe and, really importantly, they give the community assurance.”

The West Yorkshire Combined Authority has invested £35m in flood schemes, unlocking £262m in government and partner funding, according to Ms Brabin.

She highlighted key projects including a £32m Brighouse scheme that protects homes while restoring wetlands and planting trees, new defences on Sheepscar Beck in Leeds and the £2m ‘Landscapes for Water’ programme across the South Pennines, which combines woodland creation, leaky dams, and peatland restoration to protect more than 1,000 properties.

An Environment Agency spokesperson said the authority has worked to combine engineering schemes with natural flood management across Calderdale and the wider region.

“With a changing climate, we can never completely prevent flooding. We urge people to be prepared,” the spokesperson said.

While progress has been made, both Ms Brabin and Coun Scullion warned that climate change is making flooding a growing threat.

“Sadly, flooding is not a one-off event,” Ms Brabin said.

“Here in West Yorkshire, we have 14,000 households at risk from rivers.”

Coun Scullion added: “Things are definitely better in Calderdale and in Mytholmroyd, but we’re not finished yet.”

The leaders stressed that long-term funding is critical.

Ms Brabin said the Combined Authority continues to lobby the government for more support, warning that without it, communities will remain exposed.

“This isn’t just about bricks and mortar,” she said. “We know the stress and anxiety that flooding causes for families and businesses. While we can’t eliminate the risk, we can heavily reduce it.”

A decade on, the region is better prepared than in 2015.

Improved warning systems, better-trained personnel, and a combination of engineered and natural defences mean that, if a storm on the scale of Boxing Day 2015 struck today, the impact would be less severe.

Ms Brabin said: “We would have better communication and warning to help residents prepare, and our flood defences and natural flood management would help to slow the water.”

Community engagement has been central to this progress.

The Combined Authority’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy has allowed residents to have a voice in how flood risk is managed, ensuring that mitigation measures reflect local priorities and landscapes.

Groups such as Friends of Bradford Beck are restoring rivers and wetlands, while partnerships with the White Rose Forest and Leeds City Council are planting trees and re-wetting landscapes.

These projects are not only aimed at reducing flood risk, but also at improving water quality and providing environmental and recreational benefits.

The Environment Agency and other flood‑resilience specialists say West Yorkshire’s multi‑faceted approach - blending engineered defences with nature-based solutions - represents a leading model of climate-resilient flood management.

However, both political leaders warn that vigilance is still needed.

“We’ve learned a lot, but climate change is raising the stakes,” Cllr Scullion said.

“We need to keep investing, keep innovating, and keep communities at the centre of planning.”