21/03/2006
- The Environment Agency’s flood risk management
scheme at Matlock Bath has won ‘Highly Commended’
in the Institution of Civil Engineers East Midlands
2005 Annual Merit Awards.
The award, presented to Regional
Flood Risk Manager, John Fitzsimons, last Friday
(17 March 2006) recognised the Matlock Bath scheme
for its innovative adaptation of a type of technology
normally used in tunnelling to stabilise the flood
wall.
The use of this technology reduced
the impact of the construction work on the local
community and minimised the need to disrupt traffic
on the adjacent main road.
Matlock Bath lies in a steep sided
valley and is bound by the River Derwent. The most
recent floods were in 2000. Improvements to the
existing flood defences began on the 13 September
2004 and cost approximately £200, 000:
The floodwall was raised by 300mm
to provide effective flood protection for a flood
which has a 1% chance of occurring every year, referred
to as a 1 in 100 year flood. To add strength to
the wall steel rods were inserted. This is the adapted
technology that led to the ICE award;
to prevent drains backing up with flood water new
flap valves were added;
the work caused some temporary disruption to the
A6 by narrowing of the road, and a local bus stop
had to be moved whilst work was carried out but
the impact would have been far greater without the
use of the award-winning steel rod technology;
the river is used as canoe slalom, and there is
an exit point for canoeists on the site. To make
it easier for canoeists in the future, we improved
the exit point as part of our work.
Each year, the ICE East Midlands awards include
one winner and a number of other awards in the Highly
Commended and Commended categories at the discretion
of the judges.
This year, in addition to the
winner, there were just one Highly Commended award
(for the Matlock Bath flood risk management scheme)
and one Commended award.
Flood Risk Manager for Lower Trent,
Paul Lockhart, says: "We are delighted to have
received this award. It demonstrates just how resourceful
our engineers are in adapting technology from elsewhere
to help protect people from the damage and distress
caused by flooding, and to do so with the minimum
of disruption to their daily lives."
More Information:
A photograph is attached
of John Fitzsimons, Environment Agency Regional
Flood Risk Manager, accepting the award from Gordon
Masterton, President of the Institution of Civil
Engineers (right), with Tim Farr of Severn Trent
Regional Flood Defence Committee
