Volunteers brave weekend downpour to help those at risk of flooding

Date published: 31 July 2019

Volunteers helped ensure that vulnerable people in Rochdale were protected from the threat of heavy flooding at weekend.

As more rain fell in Rochdale than anywhere else in the country, members of the Rochdale Community Foundation realised the threat of flooding was very real and set about preventing things from becoming worse and making sure those at risk of flooding in the Hey Brook area were protected.

The Met Office confirmed more than a month’s rain fell in just 48 hours at weekend with 111.6mm of rain falling – well above the 83mm July average for Lancashire.

• www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/129425/highest-rainfall-in-country-recorded-in-rochdale-borough-this-weekend

With the help of Islamic charity Penny Appeal, more than 300 sandbags were distributed to residents around streets near the River Roch, including Kellett Street, Hey Street and Gowers Street.

Between 7pm and 1.30am, the volunteers visited around 80 homes.

Lead volunteer and former Mayoral Consort, Mohammed Sheraz said: “As the water level rose, we knew something had to be done. We visited the properties closed to the embankment and gave them sandbags, as these as areas are always affected.

“We contacted the Penny Appeal, who brought us 300 sandbags, torches and emergency kits for people.

“There was some discomfort for the families, as we didn’t know how bad it was going to get, and there’s always the fear of the 2015 [Boxing Day] floods repeating.

“The volunteers are the real heroes, giving up their time to help others. Our community is resilient: we have faced similar before so we know what to expect and how to deal with it.”

Rochdale Borough Council will now be working with the local residents to identify issues relating to flooding in the immediate area.

Mark Widdup, the council’s director of neighbourhoods, said: “We have fitted flood resilience measures to most houses on Kellett Street and have been working with the local community to give them advice and support. There has also been a great response from volunteers who have done a lot of great work in the area and I’d like to personally thank them on behalf of the council.

“We understand how devastating flooding can be and will continue to do what we can to assist people and business across the borough.

“For anyone that needs it, there is lots of information on our website about the services the council and other organisations provide.”

For more information, please visit:

• www.rochdale.gov.uk/flooding

Since the 2015 floods, the council, with support from the Environment Agency and Regional Flood and Coastal Committee, has taken a number of preventative measures, including:

• building two new storage reservoirs in Littleborough, which can hold the equivalent of four Olympic-sized swimming pools’ worth of water
• installing a number of flood alleviation measures including flood doors and barriers and self-sealing airbricks at over 400 commercial and private properties
• cleaning gullies year-round, with those in flood risk areas targeted twice a year

Last year the government announced £5m to be granted towards a £46m flood defence scheme to be built in the borough of Rochdale.

Work on this scheme, building a series of storage reservoirs along the River Roch and its tributaries from Littleborough to Rochdale town centre, is expected to begin this summer, with construction beginning in Littleborough in spring 2020 and in Rochdale in 2021.

The upcoming flood defence scheme is expected to deliver £455m worth of benefits over its lifetime and will improve flood protection for 1,000 residential properties and 200 local businesses as well as major infrastructure like the tram network, the bus interchange, colleges, a grid substation and wastewater treatment works.

A number of flood alleviation measures, like raised walls and improvements to culverts and bridges, are also planned for Green Vale Brook, Town House Brook, Ealees Brook and Buckley/Hey Brook.

Read more:

• www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/126759/how-the-rochdale-borough-has-worked-to-prevent-a-repeat-of-the-2015-boxing-day-floods

Footage of the flooding by Mohammed Shiraz