Clean up continues after Cheshire floods
A MAJOR clear up is still in full swing after flash flooding in Poynton, Higher Poynton and Disley in Cheshire at the weekend.
Severe flooding caused by heavy downpours caused road closures and widespread disruption.
Cheshire East Council said its highways teams were out in force yesterday (Sunday, June 12) emptying gulleys, filling sandbags and lending ongoing support to the community.
A spokesman said: “While we were prepared for extreme weather conditions, no one could have predicted the severity of flash flooding that we experienced.
“Engaging with key stakeholders, we intend to carry out a flood-risk management assessment of the Poynton area to establish what lessons can be learnt and what measures, if any, need to be put in place for the future.”
Highways team spent Saturday night dealing with traffic management issues, and sandbagging properties under threat from floodwater.
Torrential rain on Saturday afternoon created large areas of flash flooding across Poynton and Higher Poynton, threatening properties and causing disruption across a wide area of the town and neighbouring communities.
The council’s emergency management and response team was activated, operating from headquarters at Sandbach and police headquarters at Winsford, where Cheshire Police and Cheshire Fire and Rescue led a silver command operation.
The local immediately set up an emergency rest centre at Adlington Village Hall and later at Poynton Leisure Centre in response to the flash flooding in Poynton, Higher Poynton and some parts of Disley.
Volunteers from the British Red Cross, Salvation Army and the local Rotary Club, lent support but fortunately the flooding abated and no major evacuation of homes was required.
Meanwhile, structural engineers are continuing to monitor the condition of Bossons Mill, otherwise known as Big Mill, in Congleton.
The derelict seven-storey former silk mill has been declared unsafe and contractors will go on site on Tuesday to begin a dismantling operation.
The council’s appeal to people living in adjacent flats to vacate their properties until a further detailed inspection is made, still stands.
Council officers delivered letters to residents at the weekend informing them that they would be given help to find temporary accommodation.
The old silk mill has been empty since 1996 and a recent consultant’s report stated that it was in danger of collapse.
