Wigan and Leigh look set to get a slice of a £2.4bn government fund for flood defences in the north west following the New Year’s Day floods which swamped vulnerable areas of both towns. Water and Flooding Minister Emma Hardy visited the centre of Platt Bridge and Lilford Park in Leigh as the new investment was simultaneously announced from Westminster.
Alongside Makerfield MP Josh Simons she spent an hour in in Platt Bridge meeting residents and businesses affected by the flood where up to four ft of water inundated properties in Templeton Road and Walthew Lane. Officials from the Environment Agency were also present as discussions over how to prevent future flooding in the area took place.
Ms Hardy also accompanied Leigh MP Jo Platt where she met representatives of the Lilford Estate and local councillors to discuss how to mitigate future flooding events. Mr Simons said that, ideally, he would like ‘diggers in the ground by 2028’ on a flood defence scheme for Platt Bridge which he said would ‘fast’ for such a project.
“My job is to make sure we locally benefit from the £2.4bn investment in flood defences across the north west,” he added. “I want to make sure that the project happens in a way that residents will feel is as fast as possible.”
With hundreds of properties at risk of flooding along Borsdane Brook, Hey Brook and the River Douglas Mr Simons continued: “At the end of the day, the scale of investment required to make sure this doesn’t happen again means that the major project that the Environment Agency have been analysing and thinking about needs to be delivered in full.
“That is the only thing that will protect my constituents who live on this road and all round the centre of Platt Bridge, but also all round residents in Hindley and right along the path of the investment project.”
Water and Flood Minister Emma Hardy and Makerfield MP Josh Simons inspect nearby Heyes Brook in Platt Bridge following the New Year’s Day floods
Ms Hardy told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “I have great sympathy for the people impacted by the flood. Walking past that street of homes and you see people’s possessions in the front gardens, talking to the businesses. My first thought was how devastating it is when people are flooded.”
Referencing the £2.4bn investment over the next two years, she added: “We’ll be talking about specific projects within the next month. But I had a really good conversation with the Environment Agency to talk practically about what can be done.
“And one of the things I’m definitely going to take away and have a look at, is why residents and businesses in that area didn’t receive timely flood warnings that they were at risk.
“We had a realy good conversation about different possible actions or schemes that could be taken forward.
“They are all in the very early developmental stage, but we’re keen to keep having that conversation. Let’s discuss what could be done in that area. But I certainly want to have a look at flood warning and flood alerts and why they weren’t received.”
Ms Hardy also said that flood prevention was also a ‘top priority’ for Defra (the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs) and herself.
“I have experience flooding myself, which is why I wanted to become Flooding Ministerr, because I know how devastating.
“Flood prevention is also a top priority for Defra and for myself. I experienced flooding myself, which is why I wanted to become Flood Minister because I know how devastating it can be.
“Absolutely, it’s a priority to have a look at flood defences. This is why we’ve committed £2.4bn for the next two years.”
Meanwhile, residents and businesses in the area around Templeton Road and Walthew Lane are continuing to try to rebuild their lives. Most of them have no insurance because the area suffered similar flooding in 2015.
Mia Davy, 69, moved to her rented home on Walthew Lane from Islington in London in order to look after her mother.
She has now been put into temporary accommodation at Lowton Travel Lodge but was at the house yesterday assessing the damage.
Mia Davy
“I’ve lost everything,” she said. “It’s devastating. I am now having to join the waiting list for a council property, like many citizens of Wigan.
“After moving to London to find work, I always wanted to come back north eventually, but I wasn’t expecting this.”
Dawn and Philip Royds are own their own home on Templeton Road and were lucky enough to have insurance.
Dawn, 60, said: “The first we knew of the flooding was when we came downstairs at 9am on New Year’s Day to find our living room under water.
Dawn Royds inside her flood-stricken home with Makerfield MP Josh Simons
“We’d like to sell our house and move, but who would buy a property here now? We’re trapped here unless something can be done to prevent this happening again.”
Businesses on Walthew Road were also badly affected. Paul Bullen, 65, who runs the Bicyle Centre said he was considering closing his shop after 21 years.
“It happened in 2015, but I have photographs of flooding here in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s,” he said. “It’s nothing to do with global warming, it’s the brooks that burst the banks and the fact that this area is in a kind of bowl.”
Right Choice Bathrooms is a close neighbours of the Iceland store which was also inundated.
Its owners are partners Barry Beazant and Maxine Heyes, who have run their business for 16 years. They said they had sustained thousands of pounds worth of damage.
“The walls of our showroom are still drying out, but the walls are still sodden” said Barry. “The water was two feet deep. And we could see Iceland was like at Olympic swimming pool.”
Mike Horton, co-owner of Pooles Domestics, which sells home electrical appliances, said the business would not reopen in its current location following the flood.
ooles Domestics co-owner Mike Horton outside the shop on Walthew Lane which will not be reopening
“We are opening a new showroom on Makerfield Way in Ince,” he said. “It’s really sad for the area. We are not insured because of the flood in 2015, so it makes sense for us to move.”
Partners Sophie Winnard, 27 and Hayden Turner, 31 took over the Handyman Stores only six months ago.
“Because of the flood, we’ve had to close for a few days and we’ve had to continue paying the wages of five staff,” said Sophie. “But we will carry on.”