Star date: 22nd December 2016

SALFORD BOXING DAY FLOOD ONE YEAR ON

Almost a year on from the Boxing Day flood that devastated Lower Broughton, everyone, it seems, wants to know how another flood will affect the community. Will things be any different?

A Salford Council reports states that `demountable flood barriers' won't be placed in Heath Avenue, that resilience measures are merely `ongoing' and that "Lower Broughton remains at risk of flooding". Meanwhile, the South East of England is having over three times more money being spent on flood defences than the North West.

Full details here...

It's almost a year since the Boxing Day flood hit Lower Broughton, wrecking houses and lives. If the same thing happened again will the results be any different?

Residents had to wait nine months, until September, for the first report on the floods, a Government National Flood Resilience Review, which didn't mention Salford once and was denounced as "145 pages of waffle...a load of gumf" by Mike Duddy of the Mersey Basin Rivers Trust (see here).

In the same month came Greater Manchester's Flood Investigation Report which concluded, much to the community's amazement, that the Boxing Day flood in Salford was caused by "high levels of rainfall" (see here)

Finally, on 16th September, came the Salford City Council report with a damning indictment of how the community was almost left to fend for itself. The report found that police officers were giving incorrect information to residents; that information on vulnerable people was "difficult to access"; that there were too few resources to cope; that "some warnings were not issued"; and that "the real potential for a major incident wasn't communicated until it was too late" (see here).

It also found that the Council's main bloke, the Chief Officer for Contingencies, who was present on the day, didn't have a clue of what he was doing... that "communication was lost" between him and the emergency services; and that he was "unaware of rendezvous points or the evacuation processes being undertaken"... The same bloke is still in charge.

At a stormy community meeting on 23rd September at River View Primary School residents were perplexed that nothing seemed to have been done to protect their homes... "All we want is a siren, or someone to blow a whistle or something to get everyone out" resident Chris shouted "We didn't get any warning at all..." (see here)

As the twelve month anniversary of the flood approaches, there's still no siren because the Environment Agency isn't able to "resource" it. Similarly, a new Salford Council report states that "Demountable barriers to be placed in Heath Avenue have been investigated but found not feasible by the Environment Agency".

It appears to be coming down to money, despite the Government stating that £2.3billion would spent on flood defences in England until 2021. Of this, spending on the Thames Estuary alone is expected to total at least £1.8billion. The North West will have just £48 per head of population spent on flood defences, while the South East will get £161 per person and the East of England £381 per person.

Meanwhile, Broughton councillor, Jim King, originally criticised the Environment Agency at post-flood meetings for not `slowing the flow' from the River Irwell up in the hills of Lancashire. His comments have now been justified by findings from the Green Alliance think tank that show England spends nearly four times more on activities that could cause flooding than it invests to actually combat flooding...

£1.5billion was spent on subsidies for farms that ignored or increased flood risk, while only £419million was spent on land management that reduces flooding, which Green Alliance concluded was "perverse"...

"Had the Environment Agency spent our public money more wisely, then one thousand of my constituents may not have suffered a disastrous flood last Boxing Day" Councillor King tells the Salford Star.

Back in Salford, flooded social rent houses in Lower Broughton have been restored, with new flood resistant doors and windows, although the Council report states that "Resilience funding has progressed significantly but is ongoing". Meanwhile, the £9,706 collected for the community in the wake of the Boxing Day flood is yet to be spent, with the options of splitting it between the two parks, buying a siren or a putting up a screen still being decided (see here).

The new Castle Irwell flood basin off Littleton Road is apparently operational*** which, the Council assures, will have a "Positive effect on future events". Survival booklets have been issued to all homes in the Lower Broughton flood risk area, and there's a Salford Community Emergency Plan video on You Tube (that's had a mere 18 views).

However, the latest Salford Council report concludes that "Lower Broughton remains at risk of flooding..."

*The National Flood Forum, a national charity, states that its helpline is on standby to support people at risk of flooding this winter with `practical and emotional support'...

"The impact of flooding is often reported in terms of financial cost…but what about the human cost and impact on people?" asks Paul Cobbing from the Forum "Recovering from a flood turns people's lives upside down. Everything that was once normal is changed...Flood recovery is all-consuming and as we approach another winter we know that the sound of rain can send people into a panic that they may have to face it all over again.

"Experience shows that after surviving a disaster people can have a variety of reactions" he adds "If you feel you can't cope, speak out. Help and support is available."

Colette Jones, Chair of the Radcliffe Flood Action Group, which has had many ties with the Lower Broughton community since both areas were flooded, adds: "Christmas is now a time of dread. The emotional toll and repeating fear that it could all happen again has left us feeling helpless, stressed, bewildered, angry and extremely frightened. Our sense of security is now so shattered we have been left feeling vulnerable and uncertain about what the future may hold."

The National Flood Forum helpline is open during office hours, Monday to Friday, and can be contacted on 01299 403055, email info@floodforum.org.uk or check the website www.nationalfloodforum.org.uk  

The latest report from the Environment Agency states that, despite Storm Barbara, there are no flood warnings in place for the next five days.

** Haelo Salford – "an innovation and improvement science centre with expertise in digital connectivity and building capability in improvement science" – has made a film, in partnership with Salix Homes, about the Lower Broughton Boxing Day flood and its aftermath, called Flood, Sweat and Tears – to view it click here

***Update: 23rd December 2016: The Castle Irwell flood basin will be operational from tomorrow, 24th December.