Residents on a Leigh housing estate have been mopping up today after their homes were flooded for the FIFTH time this year.
Sandbags were needed from the nearby community centre on Higher Folds Estate yesterday as water threatened to inundate about 15 homes at the junction of Stirling Close and Royal Drive.
Now the people living in council and private homes on the estate are demanding action over drains which seemingly can’t handle the volume of water every time there is heavy rain.
READ MORE: The street where residents are living in fear that their homes will be destroyed at any minute
One resident, Alexandra Wierzba, 44, said her private home on Royal Drive had become impossible to insure because of the repeated episodes of flooding.
Alexandra, who lives with husband Jacek, also 44, and two teenage children, said: “It would cost us £2,000 a year to insure for damage because there has been so much flooding this year.
“It also stands to knock a fortune of the value of our house. It’s appalling.
“Wigan Council say it’s not their fault, it’s the drains and therefore the responsibility of (water company) United Utilities.
“United Utilities don’t seem willing to step up and sort the problem out.”
Her sentiments are shared by neighbour Ben Hogg, 40, who said there have been persistent flooding problems since January this year.
“We’ve complained repeatedly, but nothing is getting done. I’ve sent several emails to Wigan Council and UU. The council said they would investigate.
“It took them four months to get back to me and they said they had done all they could and said it was a UU problem.”
UU wrote to security worker Ben in April refusing his appeal for compensation for damage to his home in one of floods.
The letter from a member of staff in the UU legal department, which the MEN has seen, says: “My investigations into legal liability are now completed and regrettably this is not a matter for which I can accept responsibility.
“The information before me indicates that the flooding to your property was during periods of excessive rainfall culminating in an overload of the sewerage system.
“This caused surcharging of the system causing flooding to your property. As you will appreciate the flooding to your property is not because of any negligence on the part of this company.
“It is settled case law that in the absence of any negligence there is no liability on the company to pay any compensation. In view of the above I regret that I am unable to offer you any compensation.
“Once the company became aware of the problem steps were taken to repair same. A reactive policy is accepted practice in relation to the maintenance of the sewer network in view of its vast nature. I am very sorry this is not the outcome you were hoping for.”
Another flooding victim is 84-year-old June Cunningham who lives in a council house on Stirling close with her daughter Kerry, 43.
“We managed to get most of the furniture upstairs yesterday,” she said.
“But this extremely distressing. No-one seems willing to take responsibility for sorting this out. We are living a nightmare.”
Susan Andrews, on Stirling Close, still has furniture outside her council house from last time it flooded.
Susan, who is disabled, said: “I’ve had to go into debt to the tune of £1,000 to replace damaged furniture. It’s a disgraceful situation. Someone needs to get a grip and sort it out.”
A spokesperson for United Utilities today attributed the flooding to nearby Pen Leach Brook, which flows near to Stirling Close.
They said: “The problem is because of water levels in the brook when surface water empties into it. It can’t handle the volume of water when it rains heavily, basically because it needs dredging, which is the responsibility of the Environment Agency.”
A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: “Our thoughts are with anyone who has been affected by flooding in Leigh. Environment Agency contractors de-weeded Pen Leach Brook earlier this year to reduce flood risk.
“The Environment Agency will continue to work with our partners and the community to identify next steps.”
Wigan Council has also been contacted for comment.
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