About the scheme and flooding history
What is being proposed?
Rotherham Council is proposing the Whiston Brook Flood Alleviation Scheme (FAS) to reduce flooding and the impacts of flooding on the village of Whiston.
Whiston Brook FAS is one of six priority flood alleviation schemes proposed by Rotherham Council.
What is Rotherham Council proposing to do to in Whiston Brook?
The Council is proposing to provide better flood protection to Whiston village. The flood protection is to guard against overflowing riverbanks (fluvial flooding) and overwhelmed drainage (pluvial flooding) caused by heavy rainfall.
This would consist of work at three main sites:
- Site 1 (Worrygoose Lane Retaining Wall)
- Site 2 (Flood Storage Reservoir)
- Site 3 (Upsizing Royds Moor Culvert and Pinch Mill Brook Wetland Area)
Why does Whiston Brook need a flood alleviation scheme?
Whiston Brook is a tributary of the River Rother and flows through the centre of Whiston.
The brook poses a significant flood risk to the village which has been affected by recuring flood events. Most recently, the village was significantly affected by flooding in October 2023. The severity of these floods is worsened by the additional surface water runoff and the strain on the existing drainage systems within Whiston.
There is a flood risk through the Village centre, impacting communities immediate to the brook. Where Whiston Brook meets Ulley Brook and the River Rother to the western area of Whiston, high water levels within the River Rother cause the brook to “back up”, limiting discharge and resulting in wide flood extents. Previous flooding incidents have disrupted the local road network, notably Howarth Road and Long Lane.
