Skip to content

'Council failure meant our homes flooded'

BBC Photograph of flooding victim Royce Rossiter outside his home in Cheadle HulmeBBC
Blocked drains led to flooding at Royce Rossiter's home in Cheadle Hulme

A man claims his home flooded during the New Year's Day storms because of the council's failure to unblock drains.

Royce Rossiter claims a "river of water" flowed into his home in Cheadle Hulme, Stockport during the downpour.

But he said he and other residents had repeatedly complained to the council that drains were blocked and would overflow.

Stockport Council said it would review what happened in precise locations to see if any lessons can be learned.

A photograph of a drain which overflowed on Glandon Drive in Cheadle Hulme.
Blocked drains caused several homes to flood on Glandon Drive in Cheadle Hulme

Several of Mr Rossiter's neighbours in Glandon Drive also suffered significant damage in the flooding.

"There are a number of grids on our street and they were all blocked," Mr Rossiter said.

"There was 50cm (19in) of water under our floorboards. Luckily we've got a suspended floor, so we got the insurance company to pump that out."

Mr Rossiter added: "Every time it rains we're worried about what's going to happen now and no doubt it will put up everyone's insurance on the street".

Photograph of floorboards being dried out at Royce Rossiter's home in Cheadle Hulme
Royce Rossiter said there was 50cm (19in) of water underneath his floorboards

Conservative councillor for Bramhall South and Woodford Peter Crossen said Stockport Council "needs to take responsibility" for "bread and butter" issues.

He added: "This was simply grids and gullies not being cleaned. It was reported to Stockport Council several times over recent months but nothing was done about.

"They were warned about a catastrophe and that's what happened".

The Liberal Democrat minority-led council said: "The unprecedented rainfall on December 31st and January 1st had a devastating impact across the region".

The authority also said it would "undertake a formal review... to establish what lessons that can be learned".