Work on a £15m permanent repair to Toddbrook Reservoir in Whaley Bridge has finally begun. More than 1,500 people were evacuated from the Derbyshire town in August 2019 when torrential rain led to fears the dam wall could come crashing down, causing major flooding.
Following a temporary repair that involved Chinook helicopters dropping sandbags onto the breached spillway, the long-awaited permanent repair has started and will last an estimated two years. It was able to start after High Peak Borough Council granted planning permission for the works to Canal & River Trust, which is responsible for the reservoir and 2,000 miles of waterways across England and Wales.
A new overflow structure will be constructed to the north of the dam which involves building a side channel weir, a ‘tumble bay’, a spillway channel and stilling basin which will link into the existing bypass channel flowing into the River Goyt in the town’s Memorial Park at the foot of the dam.
