• Over £5 million project for repairs to collapsed flood wall in Matlock, Derbyshire
• Environment Agency’s reinstatement of flood defence will reach halfway milestone at Christmas
• Flood defence to better protect 50 homes and businesses from flooding

The project, which is being delivered in partnership with Derbyshire County Council and Derbyshire Dales District Council, follows the collapse of a privately owned wall that was damaged by flooding in February this year. Reinstating the town’s flood defence will benefit 50 homes and businesses.

All of the sheet piles for the new flood wall have been installed with the exception of the physical tie-in arrangement with Matlock Bridge, which is a scheduled monument. Approval has now been granted from Historic England for the work to go ahead, and it will proceed under archaeological supervision.

Naomi Doughty, project manager for the Environment Agency said:

We have reached a significant milestone with placing the sheet piles, given how tough the Derbyshire limestone has proven to be. We are now working closely with Historic England on the final placing of the sheet piles adjacent to Matlock Bridge due to the historic value of the bridge.

Weather permitting, we will begin placing the remaining sheet piles from Tuesday 6 December so we can complete the bridge tie-in before Christmas Day.

This critical milestone in the construction programme will provide a stable retaining wall upon which the flood wall can then be built in the new year and ensure that we swiftly reinstate flood protection from the River Derwent for the town.

We thank the local community for their continued support and understanding while we build these essential flood defences and apologise for the temporary disruption caused by the construction works.

The recent wet weather has also resulted in some trees falling into the River Derwent and posing a blockage risk. The uprooted trees have been safely removed and a section of soft bank opposite the working platform has also slipped. This is being removed to prevent the risk of further bank collapse. Doing so will reinstate the original bank profile from the 1976 flood defence work and increase the channel capacity.

Lifty McShifty, the huge 800-tonne crane that has graced the Matlock landscape since the beginning of August, is assisting the Environment Agency’s contractor, Jackson Civil Engineering, in carrying out the work to reinstate the flood defences. It will remain in place into the new year to enable the cladding of the sheet piles to take place.

More information about the project can be found at: Matlock Flood Wall - Environment Agency - Citizen Space (environment-agency.gov.uk).

Background

The Environment Agency is working in partnership with Derbyshire County Council and Derbyshire Dales District Council to reinstate the river flood protection following the collapse of a wall behind businesses on Crown Square, Matlock after the February 2022 storms compromised the defences and left Matlock vulnerable to river flooding.

Following the collapse of the privately owned wall, an immediate repair was carried out by placing over 50 rock-filled bags in the River Derwent using a large crane situated on the A6. Further flood prevention work was carried out in April which involved 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 the Environment Agency flood wall that sits next to the collapsed privately owned wall.

The A6 between Matlock Bridge and the train station car park is now closed to all users (pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles) until completion of the new flood defence in 2023. This allows for the huge crane to be situated on the A6 to carry out the work on reinstating the flood defences. All north and southbound traffic can now use Matlock Bridge.