Big clean up after flash floods

Middlewood Road, Higher Poynton, will remain closed for a number of days while safety inspections are carried out.

Part of the carriageway was washed away by the deluge (see picture) and highways engineers say they may be able to re-open part of the road but a major repair operation will be required.

A full structural assessment of the supporting embankment will have to be undertaken.

With more rain falling and a Met Office yellow warning in place, highways teams are on standby ready to deal with any further incidents of flooding across the Borough.

The service received more than 100 calls from members of the public reporting minor flooding incidents or other issues related to the extreme weather.

A well-prepared emergency response plan was activated, with some 400 sandbags, warning signs, road cones and barriers deployed.

Highways teams worked alongside police and fire and rescue personnel to deal with the huge volume of calls and to assist people whose homes became flooded or threatened by rising water.

Much of the work involved clearing silt and debris from road surfaces, together with drainage and gulley cleaning operations, which were needed because of the huge amount of debris washed down drains by floodwater and heavy rain.

Jetting and emptying of gullies is continuing today in some of the worst-hit areas across the Borough.

Cheshire East Council Leader Rachel Bailey said: “These were extreme weather conditions and I would like to thank the people of the Borough for their patience, understanding and resilience as our highways teams and the emergency services dealt with an extremely challenging event.

“We will continue to monitor the situation, adopting a multi-agency approach to the flood-risk management of the Poynton area in particular in view of the difficulties faced by many residents in and around  the town.”

“Roads, rivers, culverts, footways and public footpaths will all be checked over the next few days for any signs of flood damage.

“I would also like to thank the Council staff who put in very long hours to tackle flash flooding problems around the Borough.”