WIREDGOV

The Environment Agency will carry out essential flood prevention work in Matlock, Derbyshire next week to reduce the flood risk to over 50 homes and businesses.

The work to reinstate the flood protection to Matlock will be carried out between 7pm on Tuesday 5 April and 7am on Thursday 7 April. It will involve lifting an additional 100 2-tonne rock filled bags by a large crane situated on the A6 into the River Derwent to reduce erosion and limit damage to an Environment Agency flood wall that sits next to the privately owned wall that has collapsed.

The Environment Agency is working with Derbyshire County Council and Derbyshire Dales District Council to manage the risk of flooding from the River Derwent following the collapse of a privately owned wall behind businesses in Crown Square, Matlock in February this year.

To carry out the work, the A6 will be closed from Matlock Bridge to just before the bus and train station entrance during the times of the main works. Also, traffic from the north and south will be diverted over Matlock Bridge, with traffic lights on Crown Square. While delays are expected, the change will save northbound traffic from a long diversion.

A footpath alongside the River Derwent will also be closed with pedestrians and cyclists being diverted along the A6 pavement.

Before then, a survey team will also be taking measurements to gather valuable ground level data to inform a longer-term engineering solution. Weather conditions permitting, the survey team will be wading in the River Derwent and will be also flying a drone along the river corridor on Monday 4 April.

A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said:

We apologise in advance for any temporary inconvenience caused by these works and thank local businesses, residents and the community for their patience while we undertake these essential flood risk management works.

The rock-filled bags are only a temporary measure and work is currently underway to design a longer-term engineering solution. This will involve drilling 2 boreholes while the temporary works are being carried out, one on either side of the river, to gather important geological information.

While there may be some localised impacts from the borehole drilling and wider construction activity, our contractors will do their best to mitigate any impacts. We also wish to reassure the community that our surveyors will take care to only film the riverside area.

Further information

The first stage of work to protect the Environment Agency’s flood wall, which sits next to the damaged wall, involved the removal of trees nearest to Matlock Bridge on Thursday 24 March to create a safe working area for contractors to carry out the essential flood prevention work.

Following the collapse of the privately owned wall in February this year, the Environment Agency instructed Jackson Civil Engineering to complete an immediate repair by placing over 50 rock-filled bags in the River Derwent using a large crane situated on the A6. These emergency works were completed within 24 hours of the wall collapsing due to a forecast of further high-water levels on the River Derwent.