Park ready to reopen after floods closure

SAILORS and walkers will be able to use Ulley Country Park and reservoir near Rotherham from the end of this month, after a year-long closure caused by the floods of 2007.

The public has been banned from the park near Rotherham since last August while engineers carried out a huge restoration programme on its damaged dam.

Ulley became the focus of national attention during the 2007 floods, after it became apparent the reservoir dam could not withstand the pressure of water after heavy rains.

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Fire brigade pumps were commandeered from all over the country to empty water and minimise the risk of a breach, which would have flooded the nearby M1 and an electricity substation.

A third of all the high volume pumps available in the UK were in use as firefighters were pumping out 8.5 million litres of water per hour.

After the water subsided, thousands of tonnes of stone was used to shore up the dam temporarily, and specialists finally announced they had permanently fixed the problem in June.

The initial cost of the project was projected at around 2.5m but the final bill came in at nearer 4m after a series of what were described as "significant changes" to the scheme.

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Once the work was completed, Rotherham Council, owner of the park and reservoir which is home to Ulley Sailing Club, said the attraction would not reopen until water levels had increased.

Yesterday a council spokesman said the required level had now been reached and an opening ceremony was planned to mark the "milestone".

Rotherham Council's green spaces team will hold a formal park reopening and gala day on Sunday, August 29, together with the Friends of Ulley Country Park and other groups.