The Riverside Flood Defence Scheme

Rotherham renaissance logo

Through Rotherham Renaissance, the Council has regeneration initiatives to create modern, high value and quality business and living environment. A major contributor to this is making a feature of the River Don.

To achieve the Renaissance vision, a flood alleviation scheme is an essential first step to solve an existing constraint on the development of the town centre.

The Riverside Regeneration Plan

The scheme will create an area for excess water if there's flooding, and it provides a wetland area that is accessible for the public to enjoy. Along the river edge, the flood scheme will remove barriers to flow and strengthen river wall defences. It will open up the riverside to new brownfield urban development and create riverside access.

The All Saints' Quarter development is creating living, retail and business opportunities along the waterfront. So the River Don is already starting to become an important feature for Rotherham, building pride and creating vibrancy amongst all facets of its community. The flood defence scheme will significantly contribute to protect the riverside environment from future flooding.

The Flood Risk

Rotherham is built on the confluence of two rivers, the Don and the Rother. These rivers may flood occasionally. Immediately west of the confluence there is the successful Templeborough Regeneration Area. This is a corridor of land extending from Rotherham itself to the M1 Motorway and includes the main road and rail links to Sheffield. It provides a key link between Rotherham and Sheffield, and with the wider Don Valley, forms part of a sub-regionally important employment area.

The flooding in June 2007 clearly showed the need for a scheme. Sheffield Road, Templeborough was flooded, the railway and station, and many businesses were also badly affected.

The partnership of the Council, the Environment Agency and Yorkshire Forward has worked together since 2003 to provide for a 1 in 100 year standard of flood defence. The protected section is over 1.5km from Magna to Centenary Way viaduct. This is the first phase of a 3km Rotherham community wide scheme. The work is underway and it is being undertaken by contractors Volker Stevin with design by Jacobs. This first phase will provide a flood compensation area for the whole scheme and will set required defence levels for the remainder.

The Solution

The 3km community-wide scheme underpins the Renaissance of the town centre. With funding from Objective 1, Yorkshire Forward, the Council and the Environment Agency the first phase, costing over £14million, will be completed in Autumn 2008. The work will give a 1 in 100 year flood protection standard for the upstream section and backwater protection for the downstream section and it will set defence levels for the remaining section.

The partners have commissioned detailed design of the remaining section. This will fulfil the main goals and aims of the scheme to be delivered once the Urban Renaissance riverside redevelopment schemes are in place.

The Benefits

The scheme will remove a constraint to the achievement of the Renaissance vision. It will give protection from flood risk to around 30 hectares of brownfield urban and development land, the canal, the mainwestern gateway, rail and road infrastructure and 37 hectares of land accommodating existing businesses. It has the potential to provide over 1,000 full time jobs and safeguard over 2,000 existing jobs.

The new community wetland area will be managed by the Sheffield Wildlife Trust. Local communities, schools and local businesses will be encouraged to visit by development of facilities on the site.

Enjoyment of the area will be further encouraged by the provision of walkways, wetland habitats, including small ponds and a variety of retained features. It is hoped the area will be a flagship of environmental regeneration good practice, including learning opportunities and celebrating the heritage of the whole area.

This is a highly visible location at the centre of the Templeborough Regeneration corridor that provides an opportunity for the profile of this part of the flood defence scheme to be of regional significance.