Designed and built by VBA, a joint venture comprising VolkerStevin, Boskalis Westminster and Atkins, developed by the Environment Agency in partnership with Chorley Council, Lancashire County Council and United Utilities, and in collaboration with the Lower Yarrow Flood Action Group, the scheme reduces the flood risk to 438 properties in Croston. The scheme includes an upstream flood storage area on the River Yarrow and a 600m earth embankment, which is approximately 6m above the existing river bank level, and is capable of retaining up to 1.3 million m³ of water, equivalent to 520 Olympic size swimming pools.

The work undertaken by VBA included the construction of a control structure with actuated penstock gates, a control kiosk that was built at the centre point of the dam embankment to control the existing river flows, and a new concrete spillway structure and stilling basin.

A downstream river level gauging station in the village of Croston was also installed.

Richard Birchall, project manager at VBA, said: “We are thrilled to have completed this scheme which has been extremely challenging in respect to ground conditions, environmental issues and the weather that we faced over the past two years. The completed project is a credit to everyone that has been fortunate enough to be involved.”

Chair of the Environment Agency, Emma Howard Boyd cut the ribbon on the gate leading to the new embankment and was shown around the new scheme by Cumbria and Lancashire area director of the Environment Agency, Keith Ashcroft.

The opening also included a presentation by Dave Massam from the Lower Yarrow Flood Action Group and Neil Forsythe from the Environment Agency.