Specialist contractors brought in as council offers to pay to fix damaged culvert in Buxton

Specialist contractors have been brought in to help fix a damaged culvert in Buxton after a number of properties were flooded.
Heavy rain led to flooding in the Lightwood Road area of the townHeavy rain led to flooding in the Lightwood Road area of the town
Heavy rain led to flooding in the Lightwood Road area of the town

Heavy rain led to flooding in the Lightwood Road area of the town, affecting 30 residential properties as well as businesses. Some residents were urged to evacuate their properties.

The flooding led to the discovery of damage to a stone culvert which carries Hogshaw Brook underneath the properties, sparking fears it could potentially collapse.

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Work to start ‘as soon as possible’ to make flood-hit Buxton culvert safe
Heavy rain led to flooding in the Lightwood Road area of the townHeavy rain led to flooding in the Lightwood Road area of the town
Heavy rain led to flooding in the Lightwood Road area of the town
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Derbyshire County Council brought in specialist contractors over the weekend, and has made an offer to the Environment Agency to underwrite the cost of repairing the damage to speed up the process.

Now the Environment Agency, which is the risk management authority for the brook, will consider the contractor’s findings to work up plans to repair the damage as soon as possible.

Responsibility for maintaining the culvert lies with a number of different landowners, including the county council which is responsible for the section under the road which isn’t damaged.

Councillor Simon Spencer, Cabinet Member for Highways Transport and Infrastructure, said: “We understand this has been distressing for residents and we’re working very closely with the Environment Agency to enable repairs to be started at the earliest opportunity.

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“Although the area that needs repairs falls on private land, the county council has offered to pay for these repairs so the work can start as soon as possible and residents can feel reassured that the culvert is safe.

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“Funding to resolve the problem could take some time to arrange so the county council has offered underwrite the cost and look to recover the costs at a later date once investigations into who should pay are complete.”

The county council, along with Environment Agency and police, has visited residents in the area twice in recent days to keep them informed and to manage their fears of a collapse.