Plan for huge earth dam and flood reservoir at popular Endcliffe Park in Sheffield
It would protect facilities within the park, and homes and businesses downstream
An earth dam could be built in a popular Sheffield park to hold back flood water.
Sheffield City Council is working on a ‘flood reservoir’ scheme that would see an earth embankment built around the large grassed area.
The “above-ground flood storage” would be used during “extreme storm events” to protect facilities within the park, and homes and businesses downstream, the authority says.
The Porter Brook runs through the park and has burst its banks several times in recent years, occasionally leaving Endcliffe Park Cafe on an island surrounded by water.
A huge fence has been erected round the field to allow investigations into the potential flood storage plan.
The works are set to continue until Friday, July 24. Schools break up for summer on Tuesday, July 21.
A Sheffield City Council spokesperson said the initial concept was for above-ground flood storage, using an earth embankment to temporarily retain flood water during the most significant flood events.
But: “The scheme remains at an early stage of design development, and the final approach has not yet been determined.
“Further work is ongoing to assess the feasibility of the proposal and to inform the development of detailed plans.”
The authority says entry and exit to the park will not be restricted. Endcliffe Park Cafe will remain open and the parkour area and playground will remain open.
It also said the size of the fenced area will reduce over time.