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Ainscough Crane Hire’s Nottingham depot recently responded to an urgent call to undertake flood repair work that supported Matlock’s recovery from the storms that battered the country in February.
Several storms, including Storm Franklin, swept through the UK and the combined impact led to heavy flooding of up to three feet in parts of Matlock. Some 25 businesses experienced internal flooding from surface water. When the river levels receded, it led to a riverside wall collapsing and the loss of an outbuilding. Urgent work was needed to minimise the risk of further damage.
Ainscough Crane Hire was appointed by Jackson Civils, on behalf of the Environment Agency, to lift 50 one-tonne sandbags into the River Derwent to reduce erosion and limit the impact of the collapse on the Environment Agency’s flood wall.
Part of the A6 northbound in the Derbyshire town was closed by the County Council to enable Ainscough’s LTM150 crane to be moved into the main road.
After Ainscough’s contract lift manager Stuart Vintin had ensured the urgent operation could be completed safely, the team began the process of lifting the sandbags into place.
Ainscough’s team – which also included Peter Cragan, Dave Radcliffe, and Rob Holt – worked into the early hours of the morning to ensure their work was completed successfully, shoring up the flood protection to the people of Matlock.
James Needham, manager of Ainscough’s Nottingham depot, said: “This job perfectly encapsulates so much of what we do at Ainscough. When our team received the call, it wasn’t a case of if we’d be able to take the job but how quickly we could get there. We immediately set about investing in how we could make it happen in order to help mitigate the damage caused by a succession of extreme storms.
“We’re perfectly suited to jobs of this nature due to our unrivalled depot network, diverse fleet, and expertise amongst our team. These three factors mean that wherever the problem is, we can be on-site quickly with the right crane and the right team in order to use our skills to safely and efficiently provide the lifting solution that will help address the task at hand.”
