60 Chesterfield homes to be fitted with flood defences

Specialist contractor Watertight is carrying out the work on properties in Alma Street West and Hipper Street West.

This will see the properties fitted with flood doors, drainage pumps and non-return valves as well as other devices to seal against water entering the property.

Alma Street West and Hipper Street West, off Chatsworth Road, have been badly-hit by flooding in the past.

Janice Rodgers, of Alma Street West, welcomed the work.

She said: “It’ll definitely offer peace of mind.

“When the road last flooded, I was on a dream holiday in Italy.

“I got a text to say we’d been flooded and that definitely ruined the trip.

“We had to get a new carpet and there was a lot more damage caused to other homes in the area.”

Residents learned more about the work during a meeting at Lifehouse Church on Chatsworth Road last week.

It gave them the opportunity to have their questions answered and sign and return legal agreements.

The work is being funded by the Environment Agency with Chesterfield Borough Council contributing £45,000.

Councillor Chris Ludlow, the borough council’s cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: “Although we’re not an agency responsible for flooding issues, we made the decision to provide funding for work including flood doors and drainage pumps because of the impact flooding has on our residents.

“Sixty-one homes in the Brampton area will benefit following on from a similar scheme last year for residents on Spital Lane,” she added.

Chesterfield has long been affected by flooding.

Last month, in the early hours of Easter Monday, scores of properties in the Somersall area of the town were hit by heavy and persistent rain from so-called Storm Katie.

Homeowners on Yew Tree Drive, Miriam Avenue and Norton Avenue awoke to find water gushing down their streets and into their properties.

Damage worth thousands of pounds was caused.

In June 2007, a deluge of rain caused flooding in Chesterfield town centre – bringing mayhem to the area.

The A617 under Horns Bridge was filled with more than two feet of rain and parts of the carriageway were closed off for almost eight hours.