Flood defences ready a decade on

Sheffield City Council has confirmed an extensive programme to improve flood measures in the Lower Don Valley is due to be finished this summer.

Homes and businesses suffered major damage in the floods which hit Sheffield in June 2007.

A 13-year-old boy and a 68-year-old man died in the floods which saw helicopters airlifting some of those stranded by the fast-rising waters to safety.

Coun Bryan Lodge, Sheffield City Council’s cabinet member for the environment, said: “We all remember the 2007 floods that caused such devastation to the city and, tragically, the loss of two lives.

“That’s why I’m so pleased that we pressed ahead with this flood protection scheme on the lower River Don, and are also progressing other flood protection programmes across the city.

“We will do, and are doing, our very best to protect Sheffield from flooding, now and into the future.”

The project to upgrade Don Valley flood defences involves 50 separate measures located along an 8km stretch of the between the Wicker and the M1 near Meadowhall.

The majority of the work which has yet to be completed will be focused on the Meadowhall Road area.

Changes made along the river including the installation of new physical defences including walls, dams and flood gates.

But the programme of improvements has also included wider measures such as regular clearance of debris from channels, a problem which played a part in the 2007 floods.

River Stewardship Company, a local social enterprise, has taken the lead on removing material caught in bridges and culverts.

Regular volunteer days have also been held to collect litter and cut back overgrown vegetation from the river bank to improve the area for walkers, cyclists and anglers.

Increased sightings of otter tracks and other wildlife, including herosn, have been reported since the work began.

The work has been part-funded by the private sector which raised £1.4m through the creation of a Business Improvement District for the area.

It is the first time a BID has been used to fund this kind of project.

Tony Dobson, client services manager at the Sheffield PDSA charity, said: “The PDSA is a charity providing veterinary care for the pets of people on low incomes, and we operate a 24-hour service from our premises on Newhall Road.

“The flood in 2007 prevented access to our site, and I support any improvements in the Lower Don Valley to prevent this from happening again, both for the benefit of our clients but also our neighbours in what is a thriving business community.”

The Lower Don Valley scheme is one of six projects designed to significantly reduce the flood risk across the Sheffield area.

Work is also underway on measures to tackle flood risk on the River Sheaf and Porter Brook and further up the Don.

Other projects include work to renew culverts and to manage surface water on the Manor and Arbourthorne estates.

Sheffield City Council estimates the work will help creae 15,000 new jobs, 27,000 new homes, 40 new businesses and grow the economy by £150m a year.