Daily Express Thursday, August 8, 2019 23DX1STBy Chris RichesPictures: PADam burst-fear families go home
Melissa Broxup was happy to be back...but felt for residents still to returnPumping
at the
reservoir,
which was
down to
12 per
cent
capacity
yesterday.
Right,
John
Lomas
was one
of the first
residents
to returnFAMILIES in dam burst-threatened
Whaley Bridge told of their delight
yesterday as they started to go home.
About 1,500 villagers were evacu-
ated last Thursday when the dam wall
holding back Toddbrook reservoir
began to crumble.
Three inches of rain in 48 hours
flooded High Peak in Derbyshire, fill-
ing the 300 million-gallon reservoir.
For six days and nights, 23 pumps
have been emptying it so engineers
could inspect and repair the slipway.
Finally at 1pm yesterday – with the
reservoir down to 12 per cent capac-
ity and re-enforced with 530 tons of
aggregate – it was deemed safe.
John Lomas, one of the first resi-
dents to be allowed to return, said:
“It’s great to be back home. All the
services guys have done an excellent
job, I’m very proud of them all.”
Melissa Broxup said the past few
days had been a “nightmare”.
She said: “I just can’t wait to get
back in my flat. I’m happy – but on
the other side I’m gutted for those
who can’t come back.”
High Peak MP Ruth George posted
“Yee-hah” on Facebook at the news.
The Labour MP added: “I know the
last few days have been so worrying
for people but I hope we can now
have confidence to return.” AnneLeyland, who runs Whaley Bridge’s
Footsteps community shop, said: “It’s
so nice to have the town back open
again. All the people who worked to
save the dam are heroes.”
Malcolm Swets, manager of Goyt
Wines, thanked emergency teams for
the “professional way” they secured
the town’s safety.
He said: “Everyone’s had their
problems during the disruption but at
the end of the day everybody’s safe
and nobody got hurt.”
Derbyshire Police Deputy Chief
Constable Rachel Swann said: “The
hard work and dedication to achieve
this has been quite incredible.
“I am now able to lift the evacua-
tion order on the communities who
have been steadfast in the face of the
peril that lay behind that dam wall.
“The danger posed by the millions
of tons of water, which would have
destroyed homes and livelihoods,
could not be underestimated.”
The Environment Agency said
there is still “significant” work to be
done to enable the broken dam’s long
term safety can “be assured”.
The Government is considering a
review into the structural safety of
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