The flood wall provides protection from the River Derwent in Matlock for 50 homes and businesses. Construction work on the flood wall started in August 2022, with preparatory work starting earlier that year. It followed the collapse of a privately owned wall that was damaged after the February 2022 floods.
The project is being delivered in partnership with Derbyshire County Council and Derbyshire Dales District Council.
Work on the stone cladding to the wall has now started and will be completed this summer. It features Derbyshire stone sourced from a nearby quarry to cover the wall's steel sheet piles and achieve a high-quality finish to maintain the heritage look and colour palette of the area.
Naomi Doughty, Flood Risk Manager for the Environment Agency said:
"We've reached a significant milestone by completing the flood defence and reinstating protection to the town from river flooding. It's been a challenging construction due to a wet winter and complexity of working in a dynamic river environment but we've swiftly reinstated flood protection to homes and businesses.
"Our attention has now turned to cladding the steel sheet piles to create a high-quality finish using locally sourced materials that are in-keeping with the historic environment. This will provide a lasting legacy for people of Matlock to feel proud of.
"We're aiming to complete the aesthetic work over the summer, with the aim of fully completing the project in the Autumn.
"We are working with Derbyshire County Council on a plan which will see the A6 reopened in early September and Matlock Bridge reopened to single lane traffic.
"We would like to thank the local community for their continued support and understanding throughout these essential flood defence works and apologise for the temporary disruption caused by the construction works."
