A MAJOR flood defence improvement project is due to start in Rossendale next month thanks to a £400,000 boost from the Environment Agency - and should be a ‘great benefit’ to the area’s communities, according to the leader of the borough council.

Five river culverts throughout the Valley are to be brought up to standard and prevent flooding such as that which blighted parts of Crawshawbooth in June 2012.

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The investment follows the completion of a £1.2m flood defence scheme in Stubbins last year.

Improvement work will begin in February at Folly Clough, in Crawshawbooth, Swinnel Brook, in Haslingden, Hud Clough, in Facit, and Oak Street and Knott Hill, both in Shawforth.

Rossendale Council leader Alyson Barnes, who lives near Folly Clough, welcomed the funding and says it will be vitally important to individuals and businesses throughout Rossendale.

She said: “This is another fantastic investment into Rossendale’s flood prevention measures and will be of a great benefit to our communities that live in all those different areas, following on from the £1.2m investment in flood defences at Stubbins.

“Flood defence work is so important to our residents and businesses.

“We, as a council, have prioritised this work since the dreadful flooding of 2012.

“We have been working closely with the county council, United Utilities and the Environment Agency, and our efforts are now paying off with record levels of investment coming into the borough.”

A further two schemes at Hall Carr Road, in Rawtenstall, and Ewood Bridge are earmarked for development by March 2015.

That work is due to be carried out by Lancashire County Council with funding from the Environment Agency.

A spokesman for the Environment Agency said: “The £400,000 is funded through our maintenance budget and is being used to repair five key culverts and underground waterways in the area.

“If these culverts were not repaired they would increase the risk of flooding to the local area.

“The work to reduce the risk of flooding will start in February 2015 and will take approximately seven to eight weeks to complete.”

The Stubbins scheme, which reduced the risk of flooding from the River Irwell to 164 homes and businesses, was finished last November.