Wyre wants your views on flood defences

Flooding near Inskip, after Storm Desmond caused the River Wyre to breach its embankment

Wyre Council, the Environment Agency and partners are inviting anyone affected by the flooding to have their say and find out more about the support available, at the roadshow in St Michael’s on Wednesday, January 27.

The drop-in session is an opportunity for local people to shape flood risk management in their community by providing information on their experiences. This will help identify the extent and cause of local flooding and inform recovery work. It will also provide an opportunity to speak to different agencies, ask questions, raise concerns and find out about funding and support.

Councillor Roger Berry, cabinet member with responsibility for flood and coastal defences at Wyre Council, said: “We appreciate how important flood protection is for Wyre. The roadshow will give us the opportunity to listen to residents’ experiences and take them into account in our action plans. We shall also encourage residents to consider flood defence equipment for their homes and to join local action groups to work together to strengthen the resilience of their communities.”

Wyre Council handed out around 5,000 sandbags to help residents affected by flooding. Photo: Wyre Council

Around 80 residential properties and 21 businesses in St Michael’s, Churchtown and Garstang were flooded during December as extremely heavy rainfall caused drainage systems to become overwhelmed, rivers to overflow and resulted in failure of the banks of the River Brock.

Wyre Council is encouraging residents in possession of sandbags to keep them in a dry place, preferably off the ground, for future use. However, any unwanted sandbags will be collected from St Michael’s and Churchtown on Thursday, January 21, if left outside properties before 8.30am.

A temporary stockpile of sandbags at The Grapes pub in St Michael’s will be moved to the village hall car park on Thursday. Sandbags at the war memorial in Churchtown will remain.

The roadshow will be held at The Grapes on Garstang Road, on Wednesday, January 27 from 3pm until 8pm. Some of the agencies in attendance include Wyre Council, the Environment Agency, Lancashire County Council and Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service.

Further financial and practical advice and support is available at wyre.gov.uk/floods