Matlock flood defence finally completed and flood protection reinstated

The collapse of a privately-owned wall on the Derwent during the floods of February 2022 had created a critical risk in the adjacent flood wall, close to the historic Matlock bridge, which is essential to protect 50 homes and businesses in the immediate vicinity.

The Environment Agency arrived on site in August to begin work on the £10million rebuilding effort, a tricky operation which has required rerouting of traffic away from the bridge and one of Britain’s biggest cranes to carry in materials, all while battling unpredictable weather conditions and river levels.

Naomi Doughty, flood risk manager for the agency, said: “We’ve reached a significant milestone by completing the flood defence and reinstating protection to the town from river flooding.

“It’s been a challenging construction due to a wet winter and complexity of working in a dynamic river environment but we’ve swiftly reinstated flood protection to homes and businesses.”

With more than 200 cubic metres of concrete poured, and approximately eight tonnes of steel reinforcement added, work has now begun on cladding the wall, which is expected to take around one month. The arrival of summer has brought an opportunity to catch up on earlier delays.

Contractors using gritstone sourced locally from Birchover quarry to cover the steel sheet piles and achieve a finish in keeping with the architectural heritage and colour palette of the area.

Naomi said: “This will provide a lasting legacy for people of Matlock to feel proud of. We’re aiming to complete the aesthetic work over the summer, with the aim of fully completing the project in the autumn.

“We are working with Derbyshire County Council on a plan which will see the A6 reopened in early September and Matlock Bridge reopened to single lane traffic.”

She added: “We would like to thank the local community for their continued support and understanding throughout these essential flood defence works and apologise for the temporary disruption caused by the construction works.”

More information about the project can be found at https://bit.ly/426t6Rk.

Support your Derbyshire Times by becoming a digital subscriber. You will see 70 per cent fewer ads on stories, meaning faster load times and an overall enhanced user experience. Click here to subscribe.