THE work of Warrington’s highways team and all those involved in tackling the flooding crisis has been praised by Warrington North MP Charlotte Nichols.
The MP went out with the gully cleaning team on Sunday morning, to see first hand the work taking place to clean gullys in the Winwick and Burtonwood area.
Ms Nichols said:” I’ve been out in Burtonwood and Winwick this morning with the Highways Team from Warrington Borough Council, who are clearing silt and debris from the gulleys caused by the flooding.
“The team have been working incredibly hard across Warrington North having been involved in the cleanup operation in affected areas. Thank you so much to the team.
“There’s been a lot of talk on social media about the frequency of the gulley clearing, which has come as something of a surprise to the team- one who said: ‘I’ve been doing this five days a week for the last 15 years’.
Ms Nichols added: “Having spoken to the team about the cycle: major roads have the gulleys cleaned on a three times a year cycle, with B roads once a year, and residential streets every 3-5 years.
“We’d all like it to be more frequent if possible, and while the council has invested recently in a second wagon meaning two teams can be out at the same time, further support for local government would mean more could be invested in this- something I will continue to push for, as clearly keeping the gulleys clean is a big part of preventing surface water flooding.
“One of the major issues, as you can see here is the amount of rubbish that finds its way into the grid- a bottle like the one pictured is the perfect size to block the gulley outlet.
“The best thing all of us can do to help is to avoid littering and to take part in community clean-ups.
“There are a range of groups across the constituency who volunteer to do this vital work, if you would like to be put in touch please email [email protected]
Ms Nichols has also praised all those involved in tackling the flooding crisis adding: “The last couple of days have been very busy dealing with the impact of Storm Christoph and resulting flooding. Thankfully in Warrington North, water has now mostly receded from the worst-affected areas with no further flood warnings (meaning flooding is expected) in place. And so begins the aftermath.
“I want to thank the staff from the Environment Agency, Warrington Borough Council, Cheshire Fire and Rescue, Cheshire Police, United Utilities, Scottish Power and Torus who have been working incredibly hard to keep residents safe, and to thank the hotels which have opened their doors during lockdown to provide emergency accommodation co-ordinated by the council.
“As those worst affected are able to return to their homes in the coming days and are able to fully assess the severity of the damage, and those whose properties were breached begin a slow return to normal, I want to address a couple of the key concerns that are being raised:
“Having spoken to a number of residents without insurance, or whose insurance does not cover flood damage, help is available. If you, or one of your loved ones are in this position, please do not hesitate to contact me- there are a number of schemes which can assist, including the National Flood Forum, and if you are a housing association tenant certain obligations on your landlord to help too.
“Equipment such as dehumidifiers are being provided, however people should be aware that these can use a large amount of electricity- if you are on a prepayment meter or on a fixed income, it is worth making your energy provider aware that you are having to run this essential equipment so that you are not hit with this cost and taking a meter reading before you begin running them if you can. If you need help with speaking to your supplier, or with getting equipment, please contact my office.
If you need financial support or benefits advice as a result of the flooding, this is also something we are able to support you with. For anything else we can help with, please contact [email protected].
“Looking forwards, as much as Storm Christoph did bring with it record water levels locally, there are a number of factors which have meant we were not as prepared as we could have been to mitigate against this and I have had a number of conversations with the Risk Assessment Management Authorities with responsibility for flooding about what lessons can be learned, and future work undertaken to build our flood resilience.”
