A new bridge on Treeton Lane will be fitted with a thinner deck to allow more water to flow underneath it, following flood risks identified during Storm Babet in October 2023.
It was announced earlier this week in RMBC’s budget plans that £6 million will be used for the bridge project.
Councillor Jamie Baggaley of Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (RMBC), said: “Myself and the council leadership want to do all that we can to reduce the flood risks in Catcliffe and that’s why £6 million of our budget will facilitate these works over the coming years.
“After the flooding of Storm Babet, several options were considered to reduce the risk of future flood damage and changes to the bridge have been identified as the most viable option.”
Hundreds of people in Catcliffe and surrounding villages like Waverley were evacuated from their homes after four days of extreme rainfall in South Yorkshire between 18 October and 21 October 2023.
Sue Griffith, 62, of Ashbourne Way, Waverley, a neighbouring village to Catcliffe, said: “This area has been desperate for years. A new bridge with a higher opening will be a good idea and will absolutely help the flow of the Rother but we need constant monitoring. If flood barriers like at Canklow Meadow are closed down-river and others are open up-river, then the water will just back up further along.
“If the council keeps removing natural defences like all the trees, it will be so hard to deal with water levels. We were underwater in 2023 so I doubt one investment in the bridge will fix things.”
Locals remain adamant that Waverley’s transformation from Orgreave Colliery to a modern residential village has increased flood risks in the area. Tarmac roads and concrete pavements among 1,800 new residential plots limit the amount of water that can be infiltrated into the ground. However, RMBC ensured Waverley had its own attenuation area built, which is an extended area allowed to flood to store excess storm water.
Following December’s announcements, including plans from the council to install a permanent pumping station in Catcliffe to disperse flood water during and after a storm, recent budget proposals have suggested that the new bridge would be in place by 2030 or sooner.
The council will continue working with the Catcliffe Flood Group and the Environmental Agency to develop future flood planning and prevention schemes.