PRESS RELEASE : Matlock flood defence completed and flood protection reinstated [May 2023]

The flood wall provides protection from the River Derwent in Matlock for 50 homes and businesses. Construction work on the flood wall started in August 2022, with preparatory work starting earlier that year. It followed the collapse of a privately owned wall that was damaged after the February 2022 floods.

The project is being delivered in partnership with Derbyshire County Council and Derbyshire Dales District Council.

Work on the stone cladding to the wall has now started and will be completed this summer. It features Derbyshire stone sourced from a nearby quarry to cover the wall’s steel sheet piles and achieve a high-quality finish to maintain the heritage look and colour palette of the area.

Naomi Doughty, Flood Risk Manager for the Environment 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.

“Our attention has now turned to cladding the steel sheet piles to create a high-quality finish using locally sourced materials that are in-keeping with the historic environment. 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.

“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: Matlock Flood Wall – Environment Agency – Citizen Space (environment-agency.gov.uk)

Background

Over 200 cubic metres of low-carbon concrete has been poured to construct the Matlock flood wall, with approximately 8 tonnes of steel reinforcement.

Due to the construction challenges with driving piles into the Derbyshire limestone, the project costs are now expected at £10m.

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.

Working throughout the winter season, the project has encountered many construction challenges, including the wettest March on record for 40 years, with rising water levels requiring the demobilisation of the working platform 7 times.

The A6 between Matlock Bridge and the train station car park is closed to all users (pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles) until completion of the works later this summer.