Coroner flags ‘ongoing’ risks after flooding death in Chesterfield

A coroner’s prevention of future deaths report has raised concerns over the ongoing “risk to life” on a street where a woman drowned in her home during Storm Babet.

Maureen Gilbert, 83, died after her house in Tapton Terrace, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, was flooded in October 2023 when the nearby River Rother burst its banks.

Coroner Matthew Kewley issued the report on Wednesday to the Environment Agency (EA), Derbyshire County Council and to the government’s minister for water and flooding.

A Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) spokesperson confirmed it had received the report and was “carefully considering its findings”.

The EA said it would “continue to work together with other organisations to reduce the risk of flooding”.

The report was drawn up after Mr Kewley gave a short narrative conclusion at the end of the inquest into Mrs Gilbert’s death on 5 September.

It said Tapton Terrace “remains vulnerable to flooding” and that this “gives rise to a risk to life, particularly in respect of residents who may be elderly, vulnerable or immobile”.

Following flood damage to the street in 2007, an EA pre-feasibility study identified a number of technically feasible options that would reduce the flood risk.

None of these measures were implemented, the report said, principally due to cost reasons.

It added: “When Storm Babet hit in October 2023, Tapton Terrace remained in the same position that it was in back in 2007.”

Mrs Gilbert lived her entire life on the street, which consists of 26 houses and lies next to the River Rother.

In 2018, work was done to protect the street with the opening of the Avenue Flood Balance Reservoir, a large water storage area designed to hold back water upstream with the aim of reducing water flow downstream.

In the same year, Mrs Gilbert’s home was fitted with a number of flood reduction measures, such as front and rear door flood barriers.

However, these measures only provided protection up to a water level height of 0.6m (1.9ft).

The report requires the three interested parties to respond to the coroner – including details of plans that have or will take place – within 56 days.

Responding to the report, deputy director Neil Longden, from the EA, said: “In recent years, we have worked with partners to take steps to reduce the risk of flooding in Chesterfield from the River Rother and the River Hipper.

“This includes the Avenue Flood Storage Reservoir, the Grassmoor Natural Flood Management Project and work to repair defences damaged during Storm Babet.

“We will continue to work together with other organisations to reduce the risk of flooding by progressing the actions set out in Derbyshire County Council’s Section 19 report, along with responding to the coroner’s report.”

Derbyshire County Council has been contacted for comment.