The Priority Actions Grant Scheme

A green, sloping field featuring a series of low, curved dry stone walls built across a natural dip in the land. These leaky dams are designed to slow the flow of water down the hillside. A line of trees borders the top of the slope, and a traditional straight dry stone wall runs along the right side of the field under an overcast sky.

Focus on Natural Flood Management

Funded by the Environment Agency and managed by Calderdale Council, this scheme backs projects that deliver the Calderdale Flood Action Plan (CFAP) for Natural Flood Management (NFM).

The NFM section of the CFAP The plan focuses on managing our landscape to slow the flow of rainwater.

We achieve this by:

Temporarily storing water in the hills.
Planting trees and hedgerows.
Improving how we manage local farmland and moorland.

Since 2016, thanks to a strong network of funding streams, hundreds of volunteers, and over ten partner organisations, we have successfully brought natural flood management to more than 120 sites across the borough.

Note: The Priority Actions Grant Scheme is different to the Calderdale NFM Grant Scheme, which provides funding to farmers and landowners to install NFM measures on their land.

Wide view of Norland Moor featuring patches of purple heather growing among wind-swept wild grasses under a overcast grey sky.

Calderdale Flood Action Plan

The Calderdale Flood Action Plan outlines our strategy to recover from past floods, reduce the impact of flooding, and enhance resilience for future events. It focuses on four critical areas:

Strengthening Defences:
- This involves projects and schemes aimed at reducing flooding from rivers and surface water.
Natural Flood Management (NFM):
- NFM focuses on managing the landscape to slow down water flow, mitigating flood risks.
Resilient Infrastructure:
- This involves strengthening critical infrastructure, including sewer systems, electricity substations, and transport routes.
Community Resilience:
- Collaborating with the community to prepare for and recover from flooding incidents.

Each area is overseen by an operational group.

Key actions funded by the scheme

The Priority Actions Grant Scheme funds projects that advance actions on the Calderdale Flood Action Plan. The following eight actions have been selected by the Operational Group as priorities. Applications for projects progressing these actions are likely to achieve a higher score on section 4 on the application form.

Action Number NFM 35: Urban NFM Planning
- Focus: Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDs), surface water removal from sewers, and development of blue and green infrastructure.
Action Numbers NFM 3 and NFM 4: Delivering NFM Measures
- Implementation of NFM strategies to manage flood risks effectively.
Action Number NFM 10: Enhancing Moorland Habitats
- Goal: Boost resilience in upper catchment areas against climate change and wildfire risks.
Action Numbers NFM 7 & NFM 8: Landowner Engagement
- Engaging landowners to participate in flood management efforts.
Action Numbers NFM 13 & NFM 16: Monitoring Impact
- Monitoring the effectiveness of NFM actions.

Application guidance

Request an application form by emailing [email protected].

Learn how Calderdale Council collects, uses, and protects personal data related to Natural Flood Management (NFM) grant applications. This link provides information about data sharing, legal basis, retention, and your rights under UK GDPR. For complete details, please refer to the Privacy Notice.

Deadline for applications to be considered at NFMOG Funding Sub-Group:

Midnight on 29/06/2026 for the 06/07/2026 meeting
Midnight on 24/08/2026 for the 07/09/2026 meeting
Midnight on 19/10/2026 for the 02/11/2026 meeting

Please note all successful projects must be completed and claims submitted by 1st March 2027.

Please consider viewing the Calderdale Flood Action Plan’s NFM action page to inform your application.

NFM Action Page

Previous Priority Actions Grant Scheme support

To date, twenty-four projects have been funded through this grant, including organisations such as Slow the Flow, Forus Tree, and The National Trust. Recent projects include:

• Bridestones CIC, which will implement Natural Flood Management (NFM) measures on Bridestones Moor, was recently purchased through a community buyout. Volunteers will collaborate with professional contractors to carry out a range of NFM activities, while conducting before-and-after monitoring to assess the effectiveness of these measures.
• The Calder and Colne’s 'Pasture' Project, focuses on soil health and the role of sustainable land management in flood alleviation. The Rivers Trust will partner with landowners to offer free educational workshops and soil health surveys, followed by 100 hectares of aeration. This process improves water penetration into the soil, promotes vegetation growth, and helps reduce runoff to towns and villages.