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Drains blocked at flooding blackspot

Chris Jones
10/ 7/2008

A RHODES activist is demanding action after revealing more than a third of the drains along a stretch of road prone to flooding were blocked.

A survey by Rhodes Tenants and Residents’ Association member Jimmy Harkin showed of the 128 drains along Manchester Old Road, 46 were blocked.

It comes after flash floods engulfed a section of the road close to the turning with Croft Gates Road for the second time in two years last month – despite assurances by the council it would clean out drains more often after a flood at the same location in 2006.

This was along with a commitment made earlier this year to spend £120,000 across Rochdale to clean gullies more often.

Mr Harkin, a Manchester Old Road resident, is now demanding the council stays true to its word and cleans the gullies to allow drains to cope as best they can with torrential downpours.

He said: "I counted 128 drains along Manchester Old Road, and of they 46 were blocked.

"I spoke to some of the residents and one person told me they had lived there for six years and they had never seen the drains cleaned.

"They're building more and more houses at the top of the hill so the drains need to be in the best condition to cope with torrential weather when it comes, and that means the gullies need to be cleaned much more often."

The latest flooding along Manchester Old Road, on Thursday 26 June, saw three vehicles trapped in deep water, and up to 10 inches of sewage-sodden water creep into householders basements.

In last week’s Middleton Guardian we revealed how the stretch of road has flooded three times since 1993, despite assurances from the council after the 2006 flood they would clean gullies more often.

Middleton south ward councillor, Mike Holly, who secured more regular cleaning of the drains after the 2006 flood said he would help embattled neighbours reduce their flooding risk.

He said: "Whilst the sewers are the main problem blocked gullies do not help. I asked the council in early June to clean a number of blocked gullies near Croft Gates Road and I want to find out what happened."

Terry Leedham, highways maintenance and street lighting manager for Rochdale Council, said: "The areas of Manchester Old Road, Middleton, where flooding had previously occurred, are included in the list of road gullies subjected to cleaning twice per year.

"These were last cleaned at the end of February this year.

"All other areas are on a programme to be cleaned once per year. However, this area of Middleton is due to be cleaned in October.

"Rochdale Council will arrange for these road gullies to be inspected and if it is established that these require further work to prevent flooding outside the cyclic work the council will arrange for this to be carried out."