Whaley Bridge: Temporary dam repairs nearly complete

Temporary repairs to a dam which partially collapsed and forced a town to be evacuated are almost complete, the Canal & River Trust has said.

More than 1,500 people were evacuated from Whaley Bridge last August over fears the dam would collapse and flood the town.

A report found the Toddbrook Reservoir dam collapsed due to "poor design and intermittent maintenance".

The trust said the dam was now "secure against any extreme weather event".

Footpaths around the reservoir will open in August until the spring, when permanent repairs will start.

The permanent reconstruction project is due to be finished in 2023 and set to cost more than £10m.

The trust said new features on the dam's spillway, following the temporary repairs, mean it is secure against extreme weather, and will remain in place until the end of the permanent reconstruction project.

The dam's waterproof clay core has been made more effective by the installation of a concrete "cut-off beam" and an enhanced crest wall along the top.

Any excess rainwater falling in the reservoir continues to be removed by pumps and it will remain drained until all repair work has finished.

As part of the permanent repairs, the mesh baskets filled with sandbags which were used to support the dam will be replaced by a footbridge and a "new flow management structure", providing more control over how much water flows from the brook into the reservoir.

Daniel Greenhalgh, from the trust, said he was "delighted" the first phase was nearly complete, and workers have had to "cope with some challenging operating conditions".

He said: "Over the last year, there has been considerable work done to prepare for the permanent restoration of Toddbrook.

"We are currently examining a range of potential repair options and the views of local residents are a key part of the decision-making process."

He said the trust was planning to host a public consultation event in late summer.

Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].