Matlock Bridge to close for flood prevention work

Work to support a smaller section of the embankment has already begun

Work to protect dozens of homes and businesses in a town damaged by recent flooding is to continue next week.

One hundred two-tonne rock-filled bags will be lifted into place to support a wall in Matlock, Derbyshire.

A privately-owned property on the River Derwent has already been reinforced with rock bags after its wall collapsed during storms in February.

Now the Environment Agency has said it will close the A6 for two nights to continue stabilising the embankment.

Parts of Matlock, along with several other towns, were affected by flooding during Storm Franklin.

The Environment Agency said it was working with Derbyshire County Council and Derbyshire Dales District Council to manage the risk of further flooding.

It said the A6 would be closed from Matlock Bridge to just before the bus and railway station entrance from 19:00 BST on 5 April to 07:00 on 7 April, with diversions put in place.

'Solutions not straightforward'

An agency spokesperson said: "The rock-filled bags are only a temporary measure and work is currently under way to design a longer-term engineering solution.

"This will involve drilling two 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."

A Derbyshire County Council spokesperson added: "Following the 2019 flooding we engaged closely with the Environment Agency and other risk management agencies, such as water authorities, to prioritise our flood risk management schemes.

"These were then put forward as a bid to the £5.2bn Defra fund for flood and coastal erosion risk management schemes.

"Engineering solutions are not straightforward and we have yet to be granted the funds needed to deliver effective preventative measures."