The area

Erringden Hillside is located along the southern edge of Hebden Bridge in the Calder Valley. The upper slopes are primarily used for agriculture, with wooded areas on the mid slopes providing a buffer between the more developed lower slopes. The impacts of industrialisation associated with the milling industry are evident with the Rochdale Canal and the Calderdale railway flanking the River Calder within a narrow corridor along the valley bottom.

The catchment is characterised by steep slopes, with interconnected bridleways, footpaths and roads that traverse the hillside. The project area has been considered as three discrete elements, which are summarised as follows:

+ Stubbing Brink

Located at the western end of Hebden Bridge, this straddles the Rochdale Canal and Calderdale railway cutting. The area is primarily residential.

+ Hebble End

The site is located between the River Calder and Rochdale Canal and contains a mix of residential and commercial properties. It provides an important access point to the Fairfield and Horsehold areas.

Past flood incidents

The three project areas have suffered from significant flooding in recent years. Here are the most notable events:

June 2012: Heavy rain overwhelmed the local drainage system. This caused surface water flooding in many properties.
December 2015: Flooding was widespread across Hebden Bridge. While surface water still affected our study areas, the intensity was lower than in 2012.
February 2020 (Storm Ciara): Over 100mm of rain fell in just 12 hours. Calderdale received more than a month’s worth of rain (129.8mm) in only two days. This was the second-highest flood ever recorded in the Calder Valley, impacting many homes and communities again.

Key plans

Property Resilience: Installing flood measures at eligible homes in Fairfield and Stubbings Brink.
Drainage Improvements: Better surface water capture at New Road, Hebble End, Shelf Road, and Palace House Road.
Nature-Based Solutions: Developing Natural Flood Management (NFM) opportunities.

Delivered by the Environment Agency in partnership with Calderdale Council and Ove Arup and Partners. The three main work areas are:

Above Stubbing Brink.
Hebble End.
Fairfield.

MAP KEY

Drainage implemented as part of Flood Alleviation Scheme

Latest Update: June 2025

Calderdale Council and the Environment Agency have finished road and drainage improvements at Erringden Hillside.

What has been done:

Better Drainage: We installed new systems to catch rainwater before it floods.
Permanent Fixes: We replaced temporary flood gear on Hebble End and Palace House Road with better, permanent versions.
More Drains: We added extra gullies (road drains) to catch water at low points.

We completed these improvements at:

Horsehold / New Road
Hebble End
Shelf Road
Palace House Road

View project documents:

Erringden Hillside surface water flood map
Property Flood Resilience (PFR) - FAQs

Property Flood Resilience (PFR)

Work on home flood protection progressed throughout 2025. Watertight is finishing the final installations in January 2026 for properties at risk of surface water flooding.

Protective measures installed include:

Barriers: Flood doors, gates, and barriers.
Drainage: Non-return valves and sump pumps.
Sealing: Airbrick covers, specialist sealant, and repointing.

Natural Flood Management

We are working with local landowners to manage flood water naturally using the Calderdale Landowner Grant Scheme.

To slow down water coming off the hillside, landowners have added:

New hedge planting.
Attenuation ponds (pools that catch and hold rainwater).

The front of the building for the Hebden Bridge Information Centre

Working with the Community

The Environment Agency meets often with partners, local councillors, and community groups to share project news. A main local group is now set up and members can be viewed below.

+ Local groups and partners

Environment Agency
BAM Nuttall
Mott MacDonald
Calderdale Council
Calderdale Ward Councillors
Hebden Royd Town Council
Community Foundation for Calderdale
Hebden Bridge Partnership
Riverside School
Hebden Bridge Disability Access Forum
Slow the Flow Calderdale
Hebden Bridge Community Association
Hebden Royd Flood Group
Calder & Colne Rivers Trust
Calder Future
Hebden Royd Neighbourhood Planning Committee
Hebden Bridge Flood Wardens
Hebden Bridge Business Forum
Erringden Parish Council
Rotary Club

The project team has joined local groups like the Hebden Bridge Business Forum and the Disability Access Forum. These meetings help the team get feedback on the flood plans. The team works closely with local people and flood wardens to understand flood risks and improve the final designs.

As the flood plans develop, teams will hold more meetings with local people to discuss the work.