125m long flood wall to protect town centre businesses and homes completed in Rotherham

A 125-metre-long concrete wall – which is part of the council’s Rotherham Renaissance Flood Alleviation Scheme (RRFAS) – was erected between the railway and canal from Ickles Lock to Centenary Way to better protect businesses and the railway from severe flooding during heavy rain, like instances in 2007 and 2019.

Rotherham Council, along with partners, have invested £7m to complete the latest phase of work.

A colourful mural paying homage to the town’s cultural and industrial heritage was officially unveiled at Ickles Lock this afternoon (July 27).

Jim McMahon, the shadow secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs, told the Local Democracy Service: “In 2019, Rotherham experienced very severe flooding that devastated businesses, livelihoods and also people’s homes.

“The council stepped up because it recognised that it didn’t want to be in that position again. What we’re seeing today is a result of strong leadership but also a very creative council where they have been able to piece together different parts of funding to make this happen.

“I tend to think that our canal network is not appreciated in the way it should be. I think bringing in more people by improving accessibility is absolutely where we need to get to – and we’ve done that here too.”

He added the flood wall will give local businesses re-assurances against possible future floods and the wider public now has a “piece of the canal that is more accessible, more open and also friendlier”.

Cllr Dominic Beck, the cabinet member for transport and environment, said the project was led by the council to “help protect the hundreds of local town centre businesses and hundreds if not thousands, of local homes and residents” from the devastating effects flooding can have.

Cllr Beck added: “Following the 2019 floods that we saw in Rotherham town centre, we said we wanted to be serious; we said we wanted to do something about it. That is exactly what we’ve done with this scheme.

“But this is just one scheme of many that we hope to deliver along a large, long stretch at the River Don corridor to help protect even more local businesses and homes.”

He said the scheme was “massively important” as there were lots of people with stakes in this – not just the council but the football club, Rotherham United, and partners such as Network Rail.

Cllr Beck said they wanted to “do more but funding is always a problem” as it was a competitive process “unfortunately” and the council had to bid against other local authorities and organisations to get this money.