Latest news with #ScottPatient
BBC News
7 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Calder Valley flood protection projects get £2m funding boost
Funding worth almost £2m will be used to better protect an area of West Yorkshire previously badly hit by flooding, a council has money would be used to strengthen existing defences and fund new flood management schemes, according to Calderdale Calder Valley has been badly affected by flooding on several occasions over the past decade, with at least 3,000 properties affected on Boxing Day 2015 a meeting on Monday, senior councillors voted to accept grants from the government and the Yorkshire Region Flood and Coastal Committees to pay for the proposed projects. The money would be used to fund work between now and 2027 focusing on shoring up current defences and investing in natural solutions to help slow the flow of water, councillors were Patient, cabinet member for climate action and housing, described the new funding as a "huge boost"."We can't do this alone. We need the resource and finance to be able to maximise the impact of flood schemes here," he said. 'Countless near-misses' Since 2012, about £133m has been secured to help protect areas of Calderdale from explained he had been a flood warden for 10 years after his own house was affected in December 2015."That was really what kickstarted me to become a member," he said."Throwing my children's homework and musical instruments into a skip really brought home the effects of extreme weather."Patient said that while the flood risk in Calderdale could never be eradicated, "we can do our best to make sure we are in the best place possible to face those challenges".Patient added that the funding boost was "especially prescient" a decade on from the Boxing Day floods, noting that there had since been "countless near-misses", and the area remained "ever more susceptible" to Swift, who was Calderdale Council leader in 2015, also said he welcomed the he stressed the need to "keep pressing" for additional government money - not just for major projects, but also for smaller, everyday work, particularly to tackle poor drainage and run-off, which he said might be linked to past mining activity in the meeting heard that communities most at risk from future flooding incidents would be prioritised for targeted said that projects would be eligible for funding once approved by the council, and could include standard flood defence work as well as "working with nature" ideas like tree planting. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Invasive plants increase area flood risk
Invasive plants such as Japanese knotweed and Himalayan balsam could increase the risk of flooding in West Yorkshire, a council warned. The non-native species can spread rapidly but die back in the winter, leaving bare ground that floodwater moves across quickly, a Calderdale Council spokesperson said. People are encouraged to report any sightings of invasive plants and to clean their boots after walking in the countryside to stop species from spreading. Scott Patient, the council's member for climate action and housing, said: "Managing invasive species is crucial for reducing flood risk and creating a more biodiverse Calderdale." Invasive plants can cause a particular problem in Calderdale, the council said, as water can flow rapidly down its steep hillsides and into the borough's rivers. Japanese knotweed and giant hogweed require professional treatment, it added, but Himalayan balsam could be easily removed. Boot cleaning stations have been installed at Jerusalem Farm in the Luddenden Valley in a bid to protect endangered white-clawed crayfish from invasive species. The population is under threat due to the introduction of the non-native North American signal crayfish - which spread a disease which kills the native white-clawed crayfish. The cleaning stations have also been put in place at Baitings, Ryburn, Withens Clough and Scammonden reservoirs. Patient added: "Simple steps like using boot cleaning stations or reporting sightings of the most problematic invasive species can make a big difference." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. INNS Mapper Eye on Calderdale
BBC News
15-05-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Invasive plants may increase flood risk in Calderdale, council warns
Invasive plants such as Japanese knotweed and Himalayan balsam could increase the risk of flooding in West Yorkshire, a council non-native species can spread rapidly but die back in the winter, leaving bare ground that floodwater moves across quickly, a Calderdale Council spokesperson are encouraged to report any sightings of invasive plants and to clean their boots after walking in the countryside to stop species from Patient, the council's member for climate action and housing, said: "Managing invasive species is crucial for reducing flood risk and creating a more biodiverse Calderdale." Invasive plants can cause a particular problem in Calderdale, the council said, as water can flow rapidly down its steep hillsides and into the borough's knotweed and giant hogweed require professional treatment, it added, but Himalayan balsam could be easily removed. Boot cleaning stations have been installed at Jerusalem Farm in the Luddenden Valley in a bid to protect endangered white-clawed crayfish from invasive population is under threat due to the introduction of the non-native North American signal crayfish - which spread a disease which kills the native white-clawed cleaning stations have also been put in place at Baitings, Ryburn, Withens Clough and Scammonden added: "Simple steps like using boot cleaning stations or reporting sightings of the most problematic invasive species can make a big difference." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
BBC News
19-04-2025
- General
- BBC News
Luddenden Brook given special status to save rare crayfish
A stream which is home to one of West Yorkshire's last remaining populations of endangered white-clawed crayfish has been awarded protected Brook, at Jerusalem Farm nature reserve near Halifax, has been granted Local Wildlife Site Status, giving official protection both to the crayfish species and the new classification means biosecurity measures will be increased at the site, including putting up educational boards and providing special boot cleaning stations to reduce transfer of crayfish plague from people's clothing and crayfish are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's red list of threatened species that are considered endangered. The UK's only native freshwater crayfish, they are under threat due to the spread of invasive North American signal crayfish not only compete for the same food and habitat as white-clawed crayfish but also spread crayfish plague, a disease which is deadly to white-clawed crayfish. Scott Patient, Calderdale Council's cabinet member for climate action said: "Jerusalem Farm is one of the few places in West Yorkshire where the white-clawed crayfish can currently be found and I'm delighted that the Luddenden Brook, which runs through the site, has been granted Local Wildlife Status."This official status allows us to better protect this important habitat and helps to raise awareness of the plight of the native crayfish." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Exmoor ponies play key role in conservation scheme
A herd of Exmoor ponies has been brought into a nature reserve in the hope they can play a "crucial role" in a grasslands conservation project. The four ponies have been introduced to Cromwell Bottom Nature Reserve, near Brighouse, as part of the Reviving Calderdale's Grasslands project. Scott Patient, from Calderdale Council, said the scheme would support habitats for wildlife including butterflies, moths, birds and mammals, as well as improving soil health and boosting natural carbon storage. The way the ponies grazed "makes them brilliant for grassland conservation and their efforts should encourage more wildlife and plant life at the nature reserve", he said. Patient, who is Calderdale Council's cabinet member for climate action and housing, added that the project was "supporting our work to address the ecological emergency we face". Calderdale Council declared an "ecological emergency" in 2021, warning that wildlife and wild spaces were under threat and faced major challenges, many linked to habitat loss and the impacts of climate change. The Reviving Calderdale's Grasslands project, which aims to reintroduce conservation grazing at sites across the borough, is being run by the council in partnership with the National Trust and with support from Natural England. A council spokesperson said: "The Exmoor breed is able to play a crucial role in the project by sustainably grazing the grasslands, maintaining pasture and naturally supporting processes such as seed germination and enhancing biodiversity." The ponies were "extremely hardy, with a double winter coat, and are intelligent and adaptable, making them perfectly suited for the Yorkshire climate". Benefits of such conservation efforts could include reducing flooding by slowing water flow during heavy rain, they added. The ponies, which are able to thrive on poor grazing, have been introduced as a natural substitute for their wild ancestors such as red deer and wild horses which would have grazed on the land in the past, the council said. Rosie Holdsworth, from the National Trust in West Yorkshire, said: "As a hardy native breed, Exmoors are really well suited to conservation grazing and thrive on Calderdale's species-rich pastures." The Exmoor ponies are expected to remain at Cromwell Bottom until spring. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here. Calderdale Council National Trust
