Matlock: Flood defence repairs in town to get under way

Rock-filled bags were put in place after the wall collapsed

Millions of pounds are to be spent repairing damaged flood defences in a Derbyshire town.

Rock-filled bags were put in place as a temporary measure after a wall next to the River Derwent in Matlock collapsed during severe flooding in February.

The Environment Agency has pledged between £3.5m and £5m for permanent repairs, which it says will protect more than 50 homes and businesses.

It aims to have the main bulk of the work completed by the winter.

A total of 150 rock-filled bags are currently in place next to the river as a temporary measure following the collapse of the wall behind businesses in Crown Square.

The agency said preparatory work on repairs to the flood defence was scheduled to start in June, with construction work commencing later in the summer.

The cost estimate of £3.5m to £5m is based on the expectation a large crane will be needed due to the site being difficult to access.

Several roads in Matlock were flooded during storms in February

Project manager Naomi Doughty said: "We have started to design an engineered solution to replace the collapsed wall that is likely to be delivered in multiple construction phases.

"We aim to have the bulk of the work in place before the winter. We're keeping a close eye on the construction programme and the need to consider temporary measures as a contingency plan.

"We then expect to continue work in stages throughout 2023 so we can make the structure look more aesthetically pleasing and in keeping with the local character and heritage of Matlock.

"We apologise in advance for any disruption caused by these works and we're grateful for the patience and support of the local community."

Kewal Athwal Singh, Derbyshire County Council's cabinet member for highways assets and transport, said: "I'm pleased to see that the Environment Agency have found the money to fix this important part of the flood defences for Matlock.

"We realise that the work will mean some disruption to traffic in the town but this work needs doing as soon as possible to protect homes and businesses."

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