Flood-hit towns must get new defence says, says MP | UK News

Towns in Greater Manchester left deluged by the devastating New Year’s Day floods must see new flood defences set up “as quickly as possible”, an MP has said.

Floods minister Emma Hardy visited Platt Bridge and Lilford Park in Wigan and Leigh on Monday, where residents and businesses are still recovering.

She said talks had been about possible new flood schemes in the area, adding £2.4bn had been earmarked by the government for new defences across the country.

Makerfield MP Josh Simons said he wanted to see “diggers in the ground by 2028” in Platt Bridge to protect against future flooding.

Hardy’s visit saw her meet with the Environment Agency, which estimates around 99 homes were flooded in Wigan.

She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service she had a “really good conversation about different possible actions or schemes that could be taken forward”.

Simons said hundreds of properties were at risk of flooding along Borsdane Brook, Hey Brook and the River Douglas and a “major project” was needed.

Mia Davy, 69, moved to her rented home on Walthew Lane in Platt Bridge from Islington in London in order to look after her mother.

She has been staying in temporary accommodation but has returned to assess the damage and said she had “lost everything”.

“It’s devastating. I am now having to join the waiting list for a council property, like many citizens of Wigan,” she said.

“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 own their own home on Templeton Road and woke up on New Year’s Day to find their living room under water.

Dawn, 60, said they would like to sell their house and move, but questioned who would want to buy the property after the floods.

“We’re trapped here unless something can be done to prevent this happening again,” she said.

The owners of Right Choice Bathrooms on Walthew Lane, partners Barry Beazant and Maxine Heyes, said the business had sustained thousands of pounds in damage.

“The walls of our showroom are still drying out, but the walls are still sodden,” Mr Beazant said.

“The water was two feet deep. And we could see Iceland was like an Olympic swimming pool.”

Mike Horton, co-owner of Pooles Domestics, which sells home electrical appliances, said they were not willing to reopen in their current location.

“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.”