A Yorkshire council has welcomed the Government’s announcement of £30m of funding for a major flood defence scheme.

The Calderdale Flood Partnership Board has approved the flood scheme for Mytholmroyd after an investigation by the Environment Agency established it would provide ‘the highest possible standard of flood protection for the village’.

The village of Mytholmroyd, which is outside the town of Hebden Bridge, was severely affected by the 2015 Boxing Day floods.

Following the floods, the Environment Agency has completed six new schemes, reducing flood risk to 500 homes as part of a £9m recovery programme across Calderdale.

‘This is an important next step in building the right flood scheme for the village,’ said Adrian Gill, flood risk manager for the Environment Agency.

‘We have already completed a £9m recovery programme across Calderdale to restore protection to communities following the flooding of December 2015 and have been working hard to ensure we provide the highest standard of protection.

‘We will continue to listen to the local community and keep them informed as the project progresses.’

Cllr Tim Swift, Calderdale Council’s leader, said: ‘I am very pleased that the board has agreed to allocate the funding required to enable this scheme to go ahead, which is really good news for Mytholmroyd residents and businesses.’

Image: Christian Wilkinson / Shutterstock.com.