Learn about how the River Rother flood basin works to protect Chesterfield from floods and further measures we are campaigning for the Environment Agency to adopt.

Transcript

Toby Perkins: Today, I am down at Wingerworth. I am at the flood basin that was set up by the Environment Agency to provide storage upstream on the River Rother and protect the communities further down the Rother when we get the major flood events. We are going to go down and see how this asset works and talk more about other steps we can take to protect the River Rother and those communities within Chesterfield.

I am here with Neil Longden, from the Environment Agency and your Team and how important are sites like this to actually protect people down in the town?

Neil Longden: So, sites like this are really important because what they do is hold water back which means in takes the peak flows off and keeps the water levels more consistent as it flows downstream and as those levels drop then the water is released once the flooding has passed and hopefully protects people and keeps them safe in their homes.

Toby: Well. let’s go and see it.

Mr Longden: When we have got significant rainfall and the Rother is high this area starts to fill with water so, where we are stood will fill with water when we are in that sort of situation.

Toby: So, if we had been here on Monday what we would be seeing is basically the water that’s here would be over a much, much wider area?

Mr Longden: Absolutely, yeah, yeah. So, the pond would be covered over with water being held back from the river which is what the area is designed to do. Just hold that water back and reduce the flows going further downstream.

Toby: This scheme, 250,000 cubic metres of water is stored here and then released bit by bit as it…

Mr Longden: As the levels further down drop off then it’s safe to release that water without causing further risk.

Toby: So, Neil, we’ve talked about the efforts that have gone on in the past. Clearly this was built in 2018 and in 2023 we still had the Storm Babet floods that aw 500 homes across Chesterfield flooded by the Rother and the Hipper. I know there is a potential scheme for the River Hipper, up at Holymoorside but there’s a significant funding gap on that. Also, a number of smaller recommendations made in the Section 19 report. What is the sort of, future in terms of trying to protect these communities better in the future?

Mr Longden: So, that’s where we will work with all our partners, with Chesterfield Borough Council, Derbyshire County Council, water company as well, about trying to develop options that will make a difference that we can afford to do with the grant and aid and the other funding sources that we can access so, by working in partnership that enables us to open up different avenues for funding but different options in terms of solutions as well because our organisations have different powers and different responsibilities so by bringing them together, we will hopefully get a better option on the table that can make a difference in the future.

Toby: So, I hope this gives people a bit of a sense of some of the work that has already gone on but also the extent to which this continues to be a major priority for all of us. I have seen flood hit communities over the last 17 years now, I know how appalling it is for them and I can assure people it will continue to be a major priority for me to try and give people more reassurance in the future.