Five Weirs Walk: Sheffield City Council gives update five years after section washed away

A councillor has given an update on Sheffield’s most famous path almost five years since it was swept away in floods.

Sheffield City Council is set to unveil designs and costs for a repair of the Five Weirs Walk in April.

The route is the ‘jewel in the crown’ of the city’s walks and runs beside the River Don from the city centre to Meadowhall. It involved 20 years of work by volunteers, with the first section opening in 1991.

In 2019, a 150-yard section close to Washford Bridge on Attercliffe Road was swept away and has been shut ever since. Users have to detour for half-a-mile on unsigned roads.

Councillor Ben Miskell, chair of the council's transport, regeneration and climate committee, said there had been progress.

He added: "The Five Weirs Walk is a spectacular route ideal for those who wish to take up an active travel lifestyle. Parts of the walk have recently been resurfaced and Sheffield City Council, along with our partners Sustrans, made a saving on that work.

"We’ve been granted permission from the Department for Transport to use that money to undertake a feasibility study and produce a concept design for the closed Thessco section. That work is due to be completed in April and will include outline costs for the designs.

"Any work carried out on that section of the Five Weirs Walk will have to be robust enough to minimise the risk of flooding and also cope with a significantly increasing amount of people walking, cycling and wheeling across the route."

Last year, Brendon Wittram, managing director of the River Stewardship Company, said they could do ‘nature-based’ repairs for about £500,000. It is understood council contractor Amey has quoted more than £1m. 

The council took over as ‘custodians’ of the Five Weirs Walk last year but said there was no funding and no timescale for repairs.