The Environment Agency is set to begin essential works to replace
the flood gate known as the Canklow Regulator on the River
Rother, which runs into the River Don in Rotherham town centre.
The works form part of a wider project to enhance flood
resilience for communities along the River Don between Rotherham
and Doncaster.
Starting in April 2025, the existing flood gate at Canklow will
be removed and replaced with a new, more resilient structure.
This work is expected to take approximately five to six months to
complete. Once operational, the new gate will play a crucial role
in managing water flows and reducing the long-term risk of
flooding for homes and businesses downstream.
The Environment Agency operates three regulators on the River
Rother to help mitigate flood risk:
- Meadowgate Regulator – located at Rother Valley Country Park
- Woodhouse Mill Regulator – located at Woodhouse Mill
- Canklow Regulator – located between Catcliffe and Canklow
These regulators are used to hold back and store water in flood
storage areas on the River Rother during flood events. This
‘slows the flow' and reduces the risk of flooding to properties
downstream on the River Don between Rotherham and Doncaster.
The works at Canklow are part of the Environment Agency's ongoing
commitment to maintaining and improving flood defences in South
Yorkshire.
Last year, the Woodhouse Mill Regulator suffered an operational
failure and could not be lifted out of the river, resulting in
water accumulating in the washland there. However, measures
have now been taken to lift the gate so that water can
continually flow at this site.
This issue will mean that both the Woodhouse Mill and Canklow
Regulators will not be operational whilst the gate at Canklow is
replaced and may result in a small temporary increase in flood
risk to downstream communities.
Replacing the gate at Canklow over the coming months, aims to
ensure that there will be two regulators in operation ahead of
next winter.
Kimberley MacPherson, Environment Agency Operations Manager said:
We know the devastating impact that flooding can have so the
decision to proceed with these works has been carefully
considered. We will be taking as many precautions as possible to
mitigate any temporary increase in flood risk.
The Meadowgate Regulator was successfully replaced in 2024 and is
now fully operational. We are aiming to build on that success
with the replacement of the Canklow Regulator.
We remain committed to keeping residents and businesses updated
throughout the project.
With two of the three regulators set to be out of service, the
following measures are being implemented to minimise risk:
- Scheduling the works during the drier months of the year
(April to September), when the likelihood of extreme weather
events is lower.
- Operating the newly installed Meadowgate Regulator to help
manage water flows.
- Opening the Canklow flood storage area compartments to
maximise available storage capacity.
- Keeping local communities and stakeholders informed through
regular updates and flood warnings.
Around 6.3 million properties are at risk of flooding in England.
The Environment Agency urges people to go to gov.uk, check
if they're at risk, and make sure they know what to do if it
floods.
