Time to end misery of flooded Blackpool homes

Heavy rainfall on November 22 saw homes in Anchorsholme and Bispham suffer from rising water levels.

A report to Blackpool Council’s tourism, economy and resources committee said findings so far showed “this flooding event resulted from the inundation of water in the sewer systems and the inability for water courses to remove water quickly enough.”

But speaking after the meeting, Coun Maxine Callow warned not enough was being done to ensure there was not a repeat of the event.

She said: “This keeps happening again and again and it’s always the same old story that the pumping station isn’t working.

“Everyone is at the end of their tether. These are people’s homes that are affected, people’s pride and joy they have worked for all their lives.”

Steve Wong, area stakeholder manager for United Utilities, said high levels of rainfall preceding the November 22 flooding had meant storm tanks were already full.

One out of the five pumps at Anchorsholme Pumping Station, which is being replaced, had had to be re-set during the incident.

But he said the drainage system met regulator Ofwat standards of being able to cope with one-in-30-year levels of rainfall.

Also speaking after the meeting, he said: “People’s concerns about flooding are real and we have a part to play but so do all the other agencies such as the Environment Agency.

“Anchorsholme is not a flood prevention programme and the drains we have in the area are up to the standard required by Ofwat.

he new pumping station will still only be able to pump the water we can get through it.”