White water course and training base plan for lake

Rescue training taking place on Manvers Lake

A white water course and rescue training centre could open at a popular leisure destination.

South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service would use Manvers Lake, near Rotherham, as a regional training base and the £14m project would also include elite watersports facilities.

Manvers Lake and Dearne Valley Trust, the charity which manages the site, said that its "superb" water quality had been a deciding factor in the plans.

The fire service said that it expected emergency services from all over the country to use the lake and that there was a need for the facility because of the increase in severe flooding incidents.

The project was officially launched at Manvers Lake by supporters including local MPs and mayor Oliver Coppard

The trust formed in 2011 to care for the lake, which is already used for activities such as paddleboarding, kayaking and rafting.

It was set up by Mark Benton, who chairs Manvers-Wath Boat Club, and Chris Hawksworth, now chair of trustees. It has 2,600 members.

Mr Benton said the white water course would help children reach elite levels of competition, as well as upskilling firefighters.

He said: "What we are hoping to build is absolutely world-class, one of the best training facilities in the world."

The trust's business plan is for a "purpose-designed artificial river channel" which would use pumps to lift water from Manvers Lake up into a top pool higher than the normal water level.

The water flow would then run down in a controlled manner similar to that of a river in the Alps.

A paddleboarding lesson taking place on Manvers Lake

The trust has commissioned surveys ahead of submitting a full planning application to Rotherham Council.

Local MPs John Healey (Rawmarsh and Conisbrough) and Stephanie Peacock (Barnsley South) have backed the scheme.

Healey said: "This project will be a big boost for the Dearne Valley. The trust has worked hard to get to this stage, and there is real backing behind the plans. With the right support, we can get this built and delivering for our area."

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