03 July
Flood defence measures costing millions of pounds are soon to begin construction in the Hillsborough and Owlerton districts of the city.
Labour councillors have confirmed that the Lower Loxley flood defences, part of the Upper Don Valley Flood Defence Scheme, will start in August – beginning at Malin Bridge and then proceeding along the River Loxley adjacent to Holme Lane and then as far as Penistone Road, heading south towards the city centre.
Work will then continue along the River Loxley, adjacent to Livesey Street, until it joins the River Don. This scheme is a continuation of plans envisaged by Sheffield Labour councillors, who provided extra funds for flooding defences through the Council’s budget. The new defence measures should make the city more resilient in the face of flooding and help to combat the adverse effects caused by the climate emergency.
The £9 million scheme is being funded by Sheffield City Council, the Sheffield City Region and from grants administered by the Environment Agency.
Councillor Bob Johnson, Hillsborough Councillor and Cabinet Member for Development:
“I’m delighted that construction is about to start on this multi-million pound scheme to protect the local area. It is of paramount importance that residents and businesses are protected from flooding and we are working hard to ensure this.
“The climate emergency is about much more than just hotter weather – it also makes wetter weather, with downpours much more likely. This is why we are so committed to large flooding defence scheme and real investment to protect local residents and businesses.
“No one wants to a repeat of the damage seen in Hillsborough by the 2007 floods, and ensuring the River Loxley doesn’t breach is of paramount importance. Year after year we have beefed up the flood defences and I’m sure it will be reassuring for many to see how seriously we are taking this issue”.
Councillor Mark Jones, Cabinet Member for Environment, Streetscene and Climate Change:
“Last November brought some truly terrible weather and the rainfall was even greater than the levels which caused the 2007 floods, but due to the significant council investment in flood defences the city and its residents were largely protected, with the defences over-topping only slightly.
“But we believe we need to continue to go even further and this is why construction will soon begin on the Lower Loxely Defences.
“Flooding is one of the most obvious effects of the climate emergency and we need national and radical leadership to address this problem. Sadly this is currently lacking from government, but at a local level Labour councillors are determined to set a carbon-neutral budget, and make the city greener and the air cleaner. But this is an on-going process, and in the short-term the effects of the climate emergency, such as flooding, need to be mitigated as best we can right away”.