BOXING Day 2015 will be remembered by many people as a day of floods.

Villagers from Addingham were amongst those most affected as water came up through basements, flowed along the roads and down the fields and the becks burst out of their banks.

Now out of that experience the Addingham 4 Becks Project has been awarded funding by the Wharfe Flood Partnership to understand how the flooding on Boxing Day unfolded, how it affected the community and to investigate how the village can be better prepared against and protected from flooding. A questionnaire has been made available asking residents about their memories of the flood.

“Everyone has responded very positively to the questionnaire – sharing their experiences on Boxing Day with us,” said Helen Saunders from the Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust. “This invaluable information will help guide us on how we can make the village more resilient to flooding. Identifying where the worst areas were, where water came from and went to. This will help us to form ideas on where and what flood management measures could be put in place to be better prepared for the next one.

“Volunteer ‘Beck Stewards’ are an integral part of the project’s day-to-day management. Driven by a passion to protect their local environment, these volunteers play a vital role in the project. As part of the community they know what is happening on the ground. Without them, the project would simply not be the success it has been so far. They have also been clearing the becks of litter and doing the tough job of making sure that invasive Himalayan Balsam does not grow out of control.”

The results of the project will be used to guide where flood management measures can help reduce the impacts of future storm events. This work is being guided by Helen Saunders who is working with the beck stewards, landowners and residents to identify demonstration sites within the catchment for Natural Flood Management (NFM) techniques and Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS).

Catherine Coates, chair of Addingham Parish Council, said: “Addingham was badly affected by the flood and we are pleased to be involved in this community led project. With community engagement at the forefront, the future looks bright for our four becks.”

Addingham 4 Becks is supported by Addingham Civic Society’s Environment Group, the Environment Agency, Bradford Council, Yorkshire Water, Addingham Anglers, the Wild Trout Trust, Addingham Parish Council and the Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust.