Mayor evasive over flooding in Catcliffe.

Following the flooding in Catcliffe in October 2023 caused by Storm Babet, the second flood in 4 years, a resident asked me to contact the Mayor. He was concerned that the newly built foundations of the service station at Junction 33 of the M1 added to the flooding problem.

He wanted to know why the people of Catcliffe were given so little warning of the evacuation. Residents also questioned if the Environment Agency had to make a very difficult decision regarding the floodgates, and chose to let Catcliffe flood to avoid even worse flooding elsewhere.

A new pumping station at Catcliffe will ease the flood risk. Residents wanted to know when this will open.  

Yesterday, 3 months later, I received a reply from the Mayor’s Executive Director. She informed me that it is expected that the pumping station will be “at construction-ready stage in 2024; however, funding gaps remain in order to deliver this and other schemes. This is why Mayor Coppard has written to the Secretary of State asking for significant further funding support from Government.”

All the other questions, about the service station, the lack of warning and the floodgates were completely ignored. 

If I lived in Catcliffe I would be demanding much more action from my MP (Sarah Champion) and Mayor (Oliver Coppard) and the Environment Agency. Climate change is rapidly progressing and flooding is becoming much more frequent. We need to put far more resources into flood prevention measures and reject planning applications that will make flooding more likely for neighbours. 

The full correspondence can be found on my blog TelltheTruthSheffield.org. 

Yours faithfully

Graham Wroe

Here is the original letter and the reply

Wed, 24 Jan at 13:19

Dear Mr Wroe 

Thank you for your email to Mayor Coppard. He has forwarded your email on to me and asked me to respond on his behalf.  

Since the flooding of November 2019, we have worked closely with our four Local Authorities, the Environment Agency, Yorkshire Water and others to respond to flood risk and the climate emergency in South Yorkshire on a regional catchment scale through the “Connected by Water” programme. I am sorry that you were unable to access the four case studies. These remain available on our website; however, I have attached them here for your convenience. 

All organisations with responsibilities for managing flood risks and responding to flood events (including the Environment Agency) are working together to inform the statutory Section 19 reports which investigates floods and understand and learn lessons from Storm Babet. Improving the monitoring of evolving flood levels and better communicating these to local communities will be part of the review. 

A key part of our response to flood risk within the region is a programme of flood alleviation and resilience schemes which, once implemented, will better protect over 25,000 homes, businesses and regionally significant infrastructure. This includes the Rotherham Council-led scheme for a permanent pumping station at Catcliffe. It is expected that this scheme will be at construction-ready stage in 2024; however, funding gaps remain in order to deliver this and other schemes. This is why Mayor Coppard has written to the Secretary of State asking for significant further funding support from Government so that the delivery and completion of a number of critical schemes across South Yorkshire can be accelerated. 

Recent events demonstrate that there is more we must do and working with our partners Mayor Coppard and the Combined Authority will continue to support efforts to reduce the risks of repeating the devastation that Catcliffe and other communities have recently experienced. 

Kind regards, 

Clare 

Clare Monaghan 

Executive Director, Policy and Strategic Development 

Office of Oliver Coppard 

South Yorkshire’s Mayor 

E: mayor@southyorkshire-ca.gov.uk 

www.southyorkshire-ca.gov.uk  

South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority Executive  

11 Broad Street West, Sheffield, S1 2BQ 

 
Sent: 29 October 2023 21:47
Subject: Flooding in Catcliffe

Dear Oliver Coppard

I am trying to find out about the circumstances surrounding the recent flooding at Catcliffe. 

I visited your website to read the report Connected by Water but was disappointed to find the links to the 4 success stories do not work. Please can you get this fixed?

Local residents are questioning if the newly built foundations of the new service station at Junction 33 of the M1 added to the flooding problem in Catcliffe. Do you have an opinion on this? Was this a factor?

Why was it that the people of Catcliffe were given so little warning of the evacuation? 

Is it true that the Environment Agency had to make a very difficult decision regarding the floodgates, and chose to let Catcliffe flood to avoid even worse flooding elsewhere?

I am aware that there are plans for a new pumping station at Catcliffe. Is this still on schedule for 2024?

Many thanks

Graham Wroe