£46m flood defence work due to start next summer
WORK on a massive £46m flood defence scheme to protect hundreds of homes and businesses in Rochdale is due to begin next summer.
It’s hoped it will help prevent a repeat of the devastation caused in the town during the 2015 Boxing Day floods.
A series of huge storage reservoirs will be built along the River Roch and its tributaries from Littleborough to the town centre.
Raised walls and improvements to culverts and bridges, are also planned for Green Vale Brook, Town House Brook, Ealees Brook, Buckley Brook and Hey Brook.
A total of 1,000 homes and 200 businesses will be protected by the scheme.
It’s also hoped it will prevent flood damage to the Metrolink, the bus interchange, colleges, an electricity substation and waste water treatment works, which were all severely affected in 2015.
The news comes more than two years after Storm Eva caused the worst flooding in living memory in Rochdale.
Some 324 homes and businesses in Rochdale and Littleborough were severely damaged and 18,000 properties were left without power as record river levels saw the Roch burst its banks in several places.
Rochdale town centre was also flooded for the first time in recorded history.
Coun Neil Emmott, cabinet member for environment at Rochdale Borough Council, said: “We saw firsthand the devastation the boxing days floods caused here in Rochdale, with people’s homes and businesses severely affected.
“A number of flood defence measures have already been put in place since these events, including the storage basin at Calder Brook, but this is by far the biggest flood alleviation project in the borough and it’s something we’ve been working on with the Environment Agency for a number of years.
“This will have a transformative effect on the areas around the River Roch and make a huge difference to our residents and businesses.”
On Friday the government announced it was to contribute the final £5m needed to fund the scheme.
Rochdale council, Transport for Greater Manchester and the North West Regional and Coastal Flood Committee have also contributed money to the project.
The Environment Agency and the council, will now finalise the plans, before a public consultation is held in September.
A spokesperson for the environment agency said: “This is fantastic news for the Rochdale and Littleborough communities and something we have been waiting for a long time.
“We have been working on this scheme alongside Rochdale council and the local community to ensure a robust flood protection scheme is in place, to better protect 1,000 homes and 200 businesses.
“Securing this funding is a great example of how working in partnership can help us get the best scheme for the area and we are delighted to be in a position to progress the project to its next stage.”