Roch Valley neighbourhood flood and climate resilience programme

Delivering holistic neighbourhood-scale climate resilience for communities, with flood risk management at its heart.

We will produce neighbourhood flood and climate resilience plans for two key neighbourhoods in Rochdale borough - Littleborough and Wardleworth. Working with local communities and businesses we will demonstrate, test and pilot approaches to increase flood resilience in terms of people, place, housing stock, environmental infrastructure and the local economy.



Littleborough and Wardleworth experienced significant flooding from fluvial and surface water events including Storm Eva in 2015. Our project is taking a cross cutting approach to developing and delivering Neighbourhood Flood and Climate Resilience Plans for these two key neighbourhoods.



Todmorden Road after Storm Eva - a cyclist carries their bike through floodwater which is almost up to their waist. Todmorden Road after Storm Eva - a road is submerged in water. Water is coming halfway up a car and surrounding homes are flooded.


Whilst a proposed Environment Agency project will reduce flood risk from the River Roch, significant surface water risks will remain. These two communities display a range of socio-economic and environmental vulnerabilities and challenges. We'll be working closely with local communities to encourage, enable and support participation in water conservation, property flood resilience, green infrastructure management and activities to raise awareness of, improve and celebrate the Roch Valley as an asset for flood risk management and a place for enjoyment, health and well being.

Measures will include:

  • a housing retrofit programme to embed flood resilience into the Council's housing improvement programme for better homes and greater climate resilience energy efficiency
  • working with local businesses to increase their physical and financial resilience
  • carrying out a suite of environmental works to enhance sustainable drainage and increase the role of nature based solutions that bring a biodiversity net gain
  • carrying out a programme of flood literacy and an associated community participation programme to help communities to understand and work with water and take greater ownership of flood risk and how it is managed and
  • working with the insurance sector to identify ways of increasing insurance take up and building financial resilience to the impacts of flooding.

Kellett Street Allotments after Storm Eva - the allotments including greenhouses are flooded.


Our project will

  1. Result in a step change in holistic flood resilience across the project communities which benefits homes and businesses and underpins local growth, regeneration and wellbeing.
  2. Leave communities with increased flood literacy and the skills and capacity to own their flood resilience with greater confidence and manage it affordably and effectively
  3. Firmly embed flood resilience in property and land management, growth, and regeneration, and increase take up of flood insurance.


How you can get involved

We'll be developing case studies and holding events and activities throughout the project including demonstration visits and workshops. If you would like to know more and keep in touch with what we are doing please contact Francis Comyn, Sarah Parkington or Sam Wheeler through strategic.planning@rochdale.gov.uk.


How our project is testing innovation

Our project is testing the value of a holistic and integrated approach at a neighbourhood scale for managing residual risk and adapting to climate change. This includes, the benefits of aligning a Environment Agency capital project with residual risk and community resilience programmes including housing, environment and community engagement. Testing sustainable and affordable property flood resilience approaches in more disadvantaged communities. Identifying the role of the insurance sector within flood resilience programmes. Testing ways of improving flood literacy for homes, businesses and building and land managers.

We are testing 8 resilience actions:

  • Integrated water management solutions
  • Nature based solutions
  • Property flood resilience
  • Community infrastructure resilience
  • Monitoring and management of local assets
  • Minimise damages and disruption to small and medium sized businesses
  • Community and voluntary sector action to be better prepared and recover more quickly
  • Local emergency response equipment

Visit the programme evaluation page to find out more.


Who we are working with

Delivering holistic neighbourhood-scale climate resilience for communities, with flood risk management at its heart.

We will produce neighbourhood flood and climate resilience plans for two key neighbourhoods in Rochdale borough - Littleborough and Wardleworth. Working with local communities and businesses we will demonstrate, test and pilot approaches to increase flood resilience in terms of people, place, housing stock, environmental infrastructure and the local economy.



Littleborough and Wardleworth experienced significant flooding from fluvial and surface water events including Storm Eva in 2015. Our project is taking a cross cutting approach to developing and delivering Neighbourhood Flood and Climate Resilience Plans for these two key neighbourhoods.



Todmorden Road after Storm Eva - a cyclist carries their bike through floodwater which is almost up to their waist. Todmorden Road after Storm Eva - a road is submerged in water. Water is coming halfway up a car and surrounding homes are flooded.


Whilst a proposed Environment Agency project will reduce flood risk from the River Roch, significant surface water risks will remain. These two communities display a range of socio-economic and environmental vulnerabilities and challenges. We'll be working closely with local communities to encourage, enable and support participation in water conservation, property flood resilience, green infrastructure management and activities to raise awareness of, improve and celebrate the Roch Valley as an asset for flood risk management and a place for enjoyment, health and well being.

Measures will include:

  • a housing retrofit programme to embed flood resilience into the Council's housing improvement programme for better homes and greater climate resilience energy efficiency
  • working with local businesses to increase their physical and financial resilience
  • carrying out a suite of environmental works to enhance sustainable drainage and increase the role of nature based solutions that bring a biodiversity net gain
  • carrying out a programme of flood literacy and an associated community participation programme to help communities to understand and work with water and take greater ownership of flood risk and how it is managed and
  • working with the insurance sector to identify ways of increasing insurance take up and building financial resilience to the impacts of flooding.

Kellett Street Allotments after Storm Eva - the allotments including greenhouses are flooded.


Our project will

  1. Result in a step change in holistic flood resilience across the project communities which benefits homes and businesses and underpins local growth, regeneration and wellbeing.
  2. Leave communities with increased flood literacy and the skills and capacity to own their flood resilience with greater confidence and manage it affordably and effectively
  3. Firmly embed flood resilience in property and land management, growth, and regeneration, and increase take up of flood insurance.


How you can get involved

We'll be developing case studies and holding events and activities throughout the project including demonstration visits and workshops. If you would like to know more and keep in touch with what we are doing please contact Francis Comyn, Sarah Parkington or Sam Wheeler through strategic.planning@rochdale.gov.uk.


How our project is testing innovation

Our project is testing the value of a holistic and integrated approach at a neighbourhood scale for managing residual risk and adapting to climate change. This includes, the benefits of aligning a Environment Agency capital project with residual risk and community resilience programmes including housing, environment and community engagement. Testing sustainable and affordable property flood resilience approaches in more disadvantaged communities. Identifying the role of the insurance sector within flood resilience programmes. Testing ways of improving flood literacy for homes, businesses and building and land managers.

We are testing 8 resilience actions:

  • Integrated water management solutions
  • Nature based solutions
  • Property flood resilience
  • Community infrastructure resilience
  • Monitoring and management of local assets
  • Minimise damages and disruption to small and medium sized businesses
  • Community and voluntary sector action to be better prepared and recover more quickly
  • Local emergency response equipment

Visit the programme evaluation page to find out more.


Who we are working with

What else would you like to know about our project?

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Page last updated: 12 May 2023, 09:46 AM