When The Waters Clear - The Sowerby Bridge Aftermath

The water may have abated but the effect of the recent floods on the individuals of Calderdale’s Sowerby Bridge is as devastating as the damage.

With little defences, warnings or support in place, many businesses were left to protect their livelihoods alone.

Jonny Bayley of Squid Shock Tattoo Co, Ryburn Buildings believes more could have been done.

‘I used cameras and a phone app to monitor rising water levels and assess the damage to my shop so we were able to get a lot of stock out in time,’ he said.

‘But there wasn’t enough warning and too little has been done to prevent this.’

Jonny has been able to reopen though he describes the business as running at skeletal level and sadly ‘enough is enough’.

‘I’ll stay and reopen the business in Sowerby Bridge,’ he said, ‘but not on a flood plain.’

This is good news for the town but not all businesses are doing the same and some are simply shutting up shop through frustration and lack of support.

Grants have been given but it’s prevention not a band-aid the town needs.

Jonny said: ‘I am no expert but surely dredging the River Ryburn has to help, the visible fallen trees and rubble in it have to play a part.

‘Reservoir control, woodland destruction and building work should be managed too.’

His frustration is clear and understandable;

‘They can build a hospital in China in ten days but the council spent ten months planning for this without taking action.’

While neighbouring towns Mytholmroyd and Hebden Bridge hit the headlines, Sowerby Bridge is in danger of becoming a forgotten town.

In need of so much financial and individual support and at risk of losing successful businesses the situation needs addressing with urgency.

To lose what the town can offer through lack of action is a preventable, unnecessary and terrible waste.

Labour councillor for Calderdale Adam Wilkinson commented:

"It has been devastating to see so many businesses and residents in Sowerby Bridge hit by flooding for a second time in less than 5 years. There is no silver bullet that will protect local businesses and residents from flooding - moorland and reservoir management, tree planting, improved flood defences and better resilience all play a part - but we also need to wake up to the impacts of climate change and play our part in tackling it. Locally we have now had three supposed one in 50 years flood events in the past 8 years which is a clear demonstration of how our climate is changing.

"We have a pretty unique threat in our area with steep sided valleys that are especially prone to flash flooding. Over half of all businesses flooded nationally by the recent storms were in Calderdale, and a over a third of all residential properties. Ten years of austerity has really hampered our ability to respond as a council, so we are lobbying the government hard to ask them to recognise the unique problem we face and give us revenue funding to improve our resilience as a borough. I am afraid the government response to now has been poor and even the local Conservative MP Craig Whittaker has been highly critical."