Over the next couple of years, the Environment Agency (EA) will be progressing design work for the proposed flood storage reservoirs and flood defences, as part of the Rochdale Flood Risk Management Scheme. In order to gain more information about the ground conditions to inform the design process, the EA will be carrying out site investigations (boreholes, trial excavations etc.), planned to start from this coming Spring 2025.
This will include investigations at both proposed flood storage reservoir sites, termed Reservior 2 (known as Roch B by the EA) and Reservoir 1 (Roch C/D known as by the EA), in-between Albert Royds Street and Smithy Bridge Road, as well as several other areas across Rochdale (along the River Roch and Buckley Brook) where linear defence improvements may be necessary. The ground investigations will be quite extensive, using specialist rigs for drilling, to ensure that the EA have the necessary information for the detailed design phase. In addition to borehole drilling methods, geophysical surveys (effectively underground scanning of the ground) will be undertaken to help the contractor’s designers understand the ground conditions fully. The investigations across all sites are expected to take around 9 months in total to complete.
In advance of mobilising for the ground investigations, expected Spring 2025, the EA will also need to carry out ground penetrating radar surveys. This is to accurately identify buried services, such that the investigations can be carried out safely. These surveys are anticipated to start from December 2024 and take around 4 weeks to complete for the proposed reservoir sites.
The ground investigations will be carried out by the EA’s framework contractor, Volker Stevin. Work areas will be safely segregated by secure fencing and a temporary compound will be in place for provision of welfare for the contractor’s site staff. Whilst the EA will aim to mitigate disturbance where possible, some temporary restrictions to local walking routes are likely to be in place. Please be aware of warning signage and fenced areas, once the works are ongoing.
