Environment Agency says flood defences for Padiham are a priority following Storm Ciara

Homes and businesses were affected in the Padiham, Burnley and Pendle areas on Sunday February 9th when the River Calder burst its banks as a result of heavy and persistent rain.

Environment Agency Community Information Officers, who have visited affected towns and villages across the region to speak with residents and businesses, praised the way in which communities had come together and the volunteer effort working alongside statutory agencies and responders in the wake of the storm.

The Agency also highlighted the importance of residents preparing in advance of flooding thanks to people across Padiham, Burnley and Pendle being signed up for flood warnings.

Andy Brown, Flood Risk Manager at the Environment Agency, said: “I want to praise the actions of the local community and businesses in their response to the Flood Warnings and rising water levels.

"I am always so incredibly impressed by the way in which residents living under pretty extreme stress during any flooding incident not only come together but worked so well alongside us and other responders to ensure the safety of the whole community.

"We know the impact of flooding is devastating and for those that live with this fear it’s really difficult to overstate the impact this has on their lives. I hope that those impacted are able to recover quickly, and want to assure the community that new flood defences for Padiham are a priority for us.”

Water levels on the River Calder at Padiham peaked around midday on Sunday February 9th. Flood Alerts were issued for the River Calder at 6-05 am Sunday morning with subsequent Flood Warnings issued for Green Brook at 8-10 am and the River Calder at 9-10 am.

The Environment Agency, Burnley Borough Council and other partners are working together to develop the Padiham flood risk management scheme. The scheme will provide flood risk mitigation in the centre of Padiham for more than 90 homes and 60 commercial and public buildings.

Currently, the final investment into the flood defences for Padiham will be £8-10m., up from £5.8 million in the original proposals with £1m. of that already spent undertaking ground investigations and developing the designs for the proposed scheme as a whole.

Committed Government funding has increased to over £4m. Further contributions amounting to £4.3m. have been secured thanks to partnership working between the Environment Agency, Burnley Borough Council, the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership and the Northwest Regional Flood and Coastal Committee.

Mr Brown added: “Residents of Padiham, understandably, want to see these flood defences in place to give them peace of mind during flooding incidents.

"Any proposed flood scheme can be a lengthy process from option appraisals, to consultations to getting the statutory approvals in place, before construction can even start. We are doing everything in our power to ensure that tax payer money is spent effectively and delivers the best possible defences for Padiham.

"A huge amount of work has been undertaken behind the scenes to get to the current stage. Significant additional works have been identified since the original proposals presented in Padiham.

"The team developing the defences have worked hard throughout 2019 to secure a further £2.5m. to pay for this. The increased size of the scheme also means that the design and construction of the defences will subsequently require more time to complete.

"Reducing flood risk is a huge priority for the Environment Agency. That is why, from 2015 to 2021, we are investing £2.6 billion in flood and coastal erosion risk management projects across England.”

The detailed design is underway for the Padiham flood risk management scheme, with planning applications, agreements, permits and consents to follow in 2020. The current programme estimates that construction of the defences for Padiham will begin in 2021.

The Environment Agency will provide a more detailed update regarding the ongoing flood defences for Padiham through a community letter drop in the coming weeks.

Throughout Lancashire, the Environment Agency were able to protect more than 1,840 properties and businesses through a combination of operating defences and assets. Additionally, more than 3,500 properties were able to react in advance of Ciara’s arrival thanks to the Agency’s Flood Warning Service.