New flood walls and raised paths planned for Parkgate and Rawmarsh
New flood walls, raised footpaths and canal defences are being planned for parts of Parkgate and Rawmarsh as Rotherham Council moves forward with a major flood protection scheme.
Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council has submitted an application covering works at Lower Greasbrough, which would see flood defences built along sections of the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Canal, the Earl Fitzwilliam Canal and Greasbrough Dike.
The plans include lifting ground and footpath levels by up to half a metre in places, installing sheet-piled flood walls, and creating a new canal overflow into the River Don to help manage high water levels during extreme weather.
The works form part of the wider Parkgate and Rawmarsh Flood Alleviation Scheme, developed after major flooding in 2007, 2019 and 2023, which caused disruption to homes, businesses, transport routes and emergency services across the borough.
Council officers say the Lower Greasbrough phase would help protect rail infrastructure, tram lines, canal towpaths and nearby employment areas, with benefits increasing as further flood defence projects are delivered upstream.
Rather than seeking full planning permission, the council is asking planners to confirm the works are classed as permitted development under national rules, meaning they can go ahead without a traditional planning application.
A pre-application assessment has already concluded the scheme meets the legal definition of flood defence works carried out by a drainage authority.
The project is being funded by Rotherham Council, Network Rail and the Environment Agency, and forms part of a long-term strategy to reduce flood risk along the River Don corridor.
If approved, the certificate would formally clear the way for construction to begin.