Local MPs meet Government Minister about flood defences

Francis Comyn, Tony Lloyd MP, Therese Coffey MP, Liz McInnes MP, Councillor Neil Emmott

Local MPs Tony Lloyd and Liz McInnes met with Government Minister Therese Coffey to discuss issues around flood prevention that affect Rochdale, Heywood and Middleton.

Following the 2016 floods parts of Rochdale were left devastated, with the centre of Rochdale left cut off and thousands of Rochdale residents left without electricity.

Mr Lloyd and Ms McInnes put the case forward for a £45 million flood prevention scheme which would protect over 1,000 homes and 1,000 small businesses in Rochdale borough.

The £45 million would come from a special flood prevention fund and a government decision on whether the scheme should go ahead is awaited.

Mr Lloyd said: “The Rochdale case is overwhelming in Littleborough and Rochdale town centre as the damage done was enormous at the time. Some businesses never recovered and it took people months to get their lives back on track. We have to make sure we don’t see this again”

Ms McInnes said: “The floods of Christmas 2015 and early 2016 affected a huge number of residents in Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale. We can only hope that the Government agrees with us that this can’t happen again”.