Calderdale Council has launched a Floods Commission in response to the unprecedented flooding on Boxing Day 2015.

The Floods Commission will be made up of seven elected members, with representatives from each of the three main political parties, and an independent Chair with expertise on flooding. All meetings will be held in public unless there is a specific request for evidence to be taken in confidence.

The Commission will consider the causes, the impact and response to the flooding across Calderdale. Members will invite written submissions and hear evidence from local residents, community groups, businesses and key agencies, such as the Environment Agency.

Local businesses, communities and Council partners, including the West Yorkshire Police, West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service will be invited to open space workshops in each area affected by flooding.

The Commission will also encourage locally organised community meetings and forums to submit their views and comments on flooding.

The Independent Chair of the Commission will be Paul Cobbing, Chief Executive of the National Flood Forum, a national charity dedicated to supporting and representing communities and individuals at risk of flooding.

The focus of the Commission will be around a number of key themes and is expected to address a wide range of issues, including:

• Impact on housing
• Resilience measures
• Insurance
• Emotional wellbeing – the traumatic effect of the floods
• Social capital – how it can be rewarded and build on
• The role of community and voluntary sector groups, Parish Councils etc
• How to get back to normal, and what is “normal” now?
• Emergency preparedness and response
• Prior warnings and proactive measures
• Communications – between services and also services/citizens
• Water management infrastructure
• Right people, right place, right time – decision-making structures
• Impacts on business supply and demand chains
• Infrastructure (physical)
• Planned alleviation works – are they still relevant?
• Future alleviation works – their role and management in a holistic, systems based approach
• Funding
• Upland and countryside management
• Moorland management
• Reservoir capacity
• Water flow attenuation measures
• Roles and responsibilities of key national Departments and agencies
• Regional perspective (Combined Authority, Local Economic Partnership, Yorkshire Water, Northern Powergrid etc)

An initial report will be published by the Commission within three months covering the lessons learned and actions to reduce the risks and impact of future flooding, together with the evidence it receives.

The report will include a series of recommendations for the Government, the Council, the Environment Agency, the community and businesses.