The Environment Agency is set to begin essential works to replace the flood gate known as the Canklow Regulator on the River Rother in South Yorkshire, which runs into the River Don in Rotherham town centre.

Photo: aerial view of gate at Canklow Regulator

The works form part of a wider project to enhance flood resilience for communities along the River Don between Rotherham and Doncaster.

Starting in April 2025, the existing flood gate at Canklow will be removed and replaced with a new, more resilient structure.

The work is expected to take approximately five to six months to complete. Once operational, the new gate will play a crucial role in managing water flows and reducing the long-term risk of flooding for homes and businesses downstream.

The Environment Agency operates three regulators on the River Rother to help mitigate flood risk:

• Meadowgate Regulator – located at Rother Valley Country Park
• Woodhouse Mill Regulator – located at Woodhouse Mill
• Canklow Regulator – located between Catcliffe and Canklow

The regulators are used to hold back and store water in flood storage areas on the River Rother during flood events. This ‘slows the flow’ and reduces the risk of flooding to properties downstream on the River Don between Rotherham and Doncaster.

The works at Canklow are part of the Environment Agency’s ongoing commitment to maintaining and improving flood defences in South Yorkshire.

Last year, the Woodhouse Mill Regulator suffered an operational failure and could not be lifted out of the river, resulting in water accumulating in the washland there. However, measures have now been taken to lift the gate so that water can continually flow at this site.

This issue will mean that both the Woodhouse Mill and Canklow Regulators will not be operational whilst the gate at Canklow is replaced and may result in a small temporary increase in flood risk to downstream communities.

Replacing the gate at Canklow over the coming months, aims to ensure that there will be two regulators in operation ahead of next winter.

Kimberley MacPherson, Environment Agency Operations Manager said:

“We know the devastating impact that flooding can have so the decision to proceed with these works has been carefully considered. We will be taking as many precautions as possible to mitigate any temporary increase in flood risk.

“The Meadowgate Regulator was successfully replaced in 2024 and is now fully operational. We are aiming to build on that success with the replacement of the Canklow Regulator.

“We remain committed to keeping residents and businesses updated throughout the project.”

With two of the three regulators set to be out of service, the following measures are being implemented to minimise risk:

• Scheduling the works during the drier months of the year (April to September), when the likelihood of extreme weather events is lower.
• Operating the newly installed Meadowgate Regulator to help manage water flows.
• Opening the Canklow flood storage area compartments to maximise available storage capacity.
• Keeping local communities and stakeholders informed through regular updates and flood warnings.