West Yorkshire to get £22m to prevent repeat of 2015 Boxing Day floods

Flooding in Hebden Bridge on Boxing Day 2015

Communities in West Yorkshire will benefit from £22 million of funding to help protect them against future flooding.

West Yorkshire's mayor Tracy Brabin is due to visit Brighouse later to formally announce the investment.

The Calder Valley was hit hard by the Boxing Day floods of 2015, when more than 3,000 properties flooded.

The money will pay for new flood defences, help slow the flow of water, and support at-risk businesses.

Flooding at the Dusty Miller in Mytholmroyd

Projects include:

• A £7m 'natural' flood scheme to slow the flow of water

• A £5m scheme to help businesses implement new sustainability plans that guard against rising temperatures and water levels

• A £10m infrastructure scheme involving physical protections, as part of a wider programme which aims to better protect more than 2,200 businesses, 2,500 homes, and vital infrastructure such as railways and road.

The projects will be funded by the mayor's office and delivered by bodies including the National Trust and Environment Agency (EA). They will be coordinated by the Yorkshire Regional Flood and Coastal Committee.

Stewart Mounsey, EA's Yorkshire area director, said: "We know the devastating impact that flooding can have, which is why we are determined to reduce the risk of flooding for communities across Yorkshire."

Many businesses were not insured in 2015, the BBC reported at the time

Joanne Hudson, general manager for National Trust West Yorkshire, said it would work with West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Yorkshire Water to deliver natural flood defence projects as part of its Landscapes for Water programme.

She added: "We hope to get local communities involved in these projects, so we can show the next generation that nature can play a key role in preventing flooding and protecting our homes."