Caravans raised further off ground in part of Doncaster flood defence work

Residents living in mobile homes along the River Don have had their properties raised further from the ground in order to better protect them from future flooding.
Coun Houlbrook And Coun Jane Nightingale at Willow Bridge Caravan ParkCoun Houlbrook And Coun Jane Nightingale at Willow Bridge Caravan Park
Coun Houlbrook And Coun Jane Nightingale at Willow Bridge Caravan Park

People living in Willow Bridge Caravan Park in Bentley have had their homes raised off the ground to better protect them from the next serious flood event.

The caravan park was on the frontline of the 2019 floods when the River Don burst its banks due to persistent rainfall. The park was thought to be the first hit due to its location next to the river.

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Nearly 900 homes across the borough were severely affected by flooding and the clean-up cost the council thousands with many displaced from their homes for many months afterwards.

Willow Bridge Caravan Park in BentleyWillow Bridge Caravan Park in Bentley
Willow Bridge Caravan Park in Bentley

Councillor Jane Nightingale, who represents the Bentley ward, said: “The work has been supported by the Environment Agency and hopefully, the resilience work that we’ve carried out on this site will therefore assist in keeping these caravans safe should we encounter any flooding.”

Property flood resilience measures have also been incorporated into a further 241 homes in Bentley and a further 406 homes across Doncaster.

In a recent tour of some of the flood resilience works, Coun Mark Houlbrook, cabinet member for sustainability, said the council alongside the EA had identified 57 projects ongoing across the borough.

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Projects are mainly located in Bentley, Fishlake, Conisbrough and areas close to the main flows of the River Don which are aimed to provide protection to 1,300 homes.

One of these projects is along the Kearsley Brook in Conisbrough where the council and EA are using more natural defences to deal with a surge in water flows when they occur.

“The trees and hedgerows planted or will be planted alongside the Kearsley Brook will help maintain and manage the flood risk that affects the many areas around Conisbrough,” Coun Houlbrook said.

“With COP26 in mind and addressing the issues surrounding climate change we’ve got a great project at Kearsley Brook.

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“The initiatives which address carbon neutrality such as leaky dams, as well as planting trees and hedgerows. These will go a long way to address the issues of climate change and reduce flooding in our communities.”

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