Growth Hub offers support for flood affected businesses

Meadow Mill in Stockport flooded

Businesses affected by flooding are being offered help with insurance claims and clean up.

A major incident was declared after heavy and persistent rainfall throughout New Year’s Eve and continuing into New Year’s Day caused flooding across Cheshire and Greater Manchester, particularly in parts of Bolton, Didsbury, Harpurhey, Stalybridge, Stockport and Wigan.

Now it has been stood down, attention turns to the impact on premises and workplaces.

Meadow Mill in Stockport was evacuated and Rick Vere-Hoose, who was due to open a new gym in the building said he was “heartbroken” after his apparatus and flooring was damaged by the flooding.

Janine Smith, director of the GM Business Growth Hub told theBusinessDesk.com that her team have been working with local councils to help businesses impacted by flooding.

She said: “Greater Manchester is no stranger to the devastating affects of flooding and our thoughts are with all those impacted. Now, as the flood waters begin to subside, GM Business Growth Hub is working with our local authorities to help businesses deal with the immediate aftermath and recovery. 

“Over the next few days and weeks, our team of specialist advisors are ready to help those affected with advice and practical assistance to help them get back to business as usual. If your business has been impacted by the New Year floods, please contact our enquiries team.”

Group Chief Executive for GMCA, GMFRS and TfGM, Caroline Simpson, said: “We will continue working together in the coming days and weeks to help residents and businesses to recover and get back to normal.”

The mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said the “highly unpredictable” and “once-a-century” weather events are now happening “every year or so” and pledged to examine the correct response.

But Paul Morris, director at Civic Engineers, said the increasingly frequent devastation requires an urgent action to adapt the built environment to become climate resilient and better at managing rainfall, with green and blue infrastructure solutions to reduce flood risk in a natural way.

“The policy wheels are beginning to turn and local authorities such as GMCA are making progress in promoting sustainable urban drainage, but we need greater engagement across the board to drive real change. It’s a challenge we cannot afford to ignore,” he said.

Reacting to the news that clean up operations have begun after New Year’s Day flooding wreaked havoc across the North West Doug Parr, Chief Scientist at Greenpeace UK, said: “Having your home flooded is the worst way to start the new year and as the clean-up begins, communities in Greater Manchester will be cursing their bad luck. But floods like these are not just a twist of fate: this is what the climate crisis looks like. Extreme weather is happening all over the world and will only get worse as climate change accelerates, devastating communities and leaving spiralling damage bills in their wake.

“We can’t let ordinary people foot the bill while the companies like Shell, BP and other big polluters who are fueling the crisis continue to bank billions in profits every year. With the country strapped for cash, the government should introduce policies to force the fossil fuel industry to start paying back their climate debts.”

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