Floods minister visits Mytholmroyd

The floods minister Thérèse Coffey is in the West Yorkshire village of Mytholmroyd today to see design options for a new £15 million flood alleviation scheme.

It's hoped it will prevent a repeat of the flooding that struck the area in 2015 and give better protection to nearly 400 homes and businesses.

This is part of the £50 million the government is investing to provide better flood protection to 1,600 properties across Calderdale by 2021.

Mytholmroyd's defences will be bolstered by a separate scheme a short distance upstream in Hebden Bridge, which is due to start construction later this year.

Calderdale's flood defences are already being boosted by a number of natural flood management projects, such as tree planting and using land to store water, and further slow-the-flow initiatives are being considered through the Calderdale Action Plan.

Three army battalions have also undergone extensive floods training, with up to 1,200 soldiers on 24-hour standby and ready to move quickly across the country, if they are needed.