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Whaley Bridge dam: Work starts on £15m permanent repair project

Getty Images Chinook over damGetty Images
An RAF Chinook helicopter dropped sandbags and aggregate into the compromised spillway to reinforce it

Work to permanently repair a dam that sparked flooding fears when part of it collapsed has begun.

Hundreds of people in Whaley Bridge were evacuated from their homes in August 2019 when the barrier at Toddbrook Reservoir gave way.

Temporary repairs made the dam safe again, but the two-year, £15m project will provide a long-term fix.

The Canal and River Trust said preparation work had started prior to the main construction in the autumn.

A new overflow side channel to prevent water levels climbing too high will be installed.

The concrete panels from the 1970s-built overflow spillway, which were damaged, will be removed. The dam will then be repaired and grassed over.

A new clubhouse, boat storage and car park for the sailing club will also be built, as the existing structures make way for the new spillway.

Canal and River Trust Artist impression of the new Sailing ClubCanal and River Trust
A new clubhouse will be built as the old one will be replaced by the new spillway

On 01 August 2019 heavy rain caused a large section of the dam's spillway at Toddbrook Reservoir to fall away and there were fears the whole structure could collapse.

A report later found this was caused by poor design and a lack of maintenance.

This led to about 1,500 people to be evacuated from Whaley Bridge over fears the town would be flooded.

Emergency crews pumped out water to bring levels down, while an RAF Chinook helicopter helped to secure the compromised spillway.

The trust said interim repairs had made the dam "secure against any extreme weather event".

Canal and River Trust Toddbrook Reservoir water kept at a low levelCanal and River Trust
High volume pumps will be kept in the reservoir to manage water levels until the end of the project

Daniel Greenhalgh, North West director for the Canal and River Trust, said: "We are very grateful to everyone for their continued patience and support, as we appreciate that the works will inevitably cause some disruption for Whaley Bridge residents.

"We will do our very best to mitigate noise and disruption as far as we can.

"The reservoir will be restored to the most stringent 21st century engineering standards - keeping everyone safe is our top priority."

Mr Greenhalgh said restoring Toddbrook was "vital to ensure the long-term viability" of the Peak Forest and Macclesfield canals.

The plans for the restoration of the dam, which were submitted in October, were approved earlier in March by High Peak Borough Council to the Canal and River Trust charity.

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