£3.2m flood defence plans lodged in Rotherham

Heavy rain in November 2000, June 2007 and more recently, in November 2019, led to devastating flooding in South Yorkshire.

Flood water covered the tracks at Rotherham Central train station, and it is hoped that the new defences will ensure that the town centre, and the station, are “more resilient to future flood events”.

If approved, the works will include a 90m long wall between Ickles Lock Boathouse to Ickles Lock Railway Bridge, two concrete crossings, and an 8m section of the level crossing at Brinsworth Street will be raised.

On Brinsworth Street, south of the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Canal, 120m of new flood defence will be installed, including a reinforced concrete flood wall, highway drainage, and a “full width highway reconstruction to raise highway levels”.

A 2 .5m high reinforced concrete wall will be built along the railway embankment from Ickles Lock Railway Bridge to Centenary Way, and the canal towpath will be realigned over a 70m section to “accommodate new embankment slopes”.

Planning documents state that if approved, the canal, which runs through the site will remain open, but the Trans Pennine Trail will be closed for part of the duration of the works.

The planning application has been lodged as part of a borough-wide flood alleviation scheme, which extends along a 5 kilometre long stretch of the River Don through the Templeborough, town centre and Parkgate areas of Rotherham.

It is hoped that the scheme will reduce the risk of flooding to around 400 existing businesses, as well as roads, rail and the tram/train network.

The overall cost of this phase is around £3.2m, which is being funded using £1.6m of European Regional Development Fund and £1.6m from the Council’s town centre investment fund.