Monday, 5 January 2026
Grants to support natural flood management
Landowners in Calderdale could benefit from funding to support the creation of natural flood management measures on their land.
Calderdale Council and the Environment Agency have launched the latest round of the NFM Grant Scheme, which aims to support farmers and landowners to implement Natural flood management (NFM) techniques.
Now in its sixth round of funding, the scheme has so far provided almost £1 million to 60 landowners in the borough to fund a variety of different activities, such as planting trees and hedgerows and building leaky dams.
These activities are inspired by natural processes and support the temporary storage of water in the landscape, slowing its flow from the hillsides and reducing the flood risk downstream.
The closing date for this round of grants is 12 noon on Thursday 15 January 2026. To find out more, visit this web page. Successful applicants will have 11 months to implement their plans.
Calderdale Council's Cabinet Member for Climate Action and Housing, Cllr Scott Patient, said, "It's now just over 10 years since Storm Eva caused disastrous flooding on Boxing Day 2015, affecting communities across Calderdale. Since that time, an enormous amount of work has taken place to mitigate the impacts of flooding in the borough and help tackle the climate crisis.
"The investment and partnership work to implement Natural Flood Management techniques is one of the significant achievements in this time, with over 120 sites across the borough now being used for NFM.
"This effective and low-cost approach is so important during periods of heavy rain, helping to slow the flow of water and avoid overwhelming drainage in towns like Todmorden, Hebden Bridge and Mytholmroyd.
"I'm pleased we're able to offer another round of funding for the natural flood management Grant Scheme, supporting landowners to complement the existing natural flood management sites across the borough and helping to build Calderdale's resilience to flooding."
Unlike hard-engineered flood defences, natural flood management works with the landscape rather than against it. It offers a wide range of benefits:
- Reduces flood risk by slowing the release of rainwater during storms
- Supports biodiversity by creating vital habitats for wildlife
- Combats climate change by locking carbon in the soil
- Boosts ecosystem resilience, supporting the health of land and waterways
It's also a cost-effective approach, delivering long-term protection while enriching the natural environment.
Natural flood management is a key part of Calderdale's Flood and Climate Action Plans, which outline the borough's roadmap to reducing flood risk, achieving net zero and protecting its communities and landscapes from the impacts of climate change.
Natural flood management grant funded projects build upon wider efforts already underway in Calderdale, including the ambitious Landscapes for Water partnership. This groundbreaking initiative, involving Yorkshire Water, the National Trust, White Rose Forest and others, is working to restore natural processes across land owned by partner organisations in the Upper Calder and Colne catchments.
The Great Flood, 10 years on: On Boxing Day, 2015, Hebden Bridge experienced its worst flood in recent years. Here is the HebWeb home page from 10 years ago. See also, this HebWeb feature, Boxing Day Floods 2015 And the HebWeb Gallery of photos from that day.