'˜We'll keep up battle for flood defence'

Flood campaigners in Wyre have vowed to keep lobbying the Environment Agency and partners for better and stronger defences a year on from the devastating flooding of last August.
Flooding of ChurchtownFlooding of Churchtown
Flooding of Churchtown

An urgent review was launched by multiple partners following the flooding of Churchtown and parts of Garstang, just nine months after the devastating effects of Storm Desmond in December 2016.

Pro-active members of Churchtown Flood Action Group have been working hard to better equip themselves in the event of emergency but say there is still more to be done to protect vulnerable communities.

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Concerns have been further highlighted after flash flooding in Catterall earlier this month.

Spokesman for the Churchtown Flood Action Group Siriol Hogg said: “The after effects of the August 22 floods were heartbreaking.

“Churchtown was the only village to be flooded and just nine months after Storm Desmond. There are no words to describe how distressing it has been for people in the community.”

A spokesman for the Environment Agency confirmed engineering works would begin next month to improve the existing flood embankments at Churchtown and to reduce the risk of ‘overtopping.’

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He added: “The Environment Agency are also planning to install an additional river level monitoring site on the river Wyre at Kirkland Bridge, Churchtown. Once installed this site will be added to our existing network and be available to the public on the gov.uk website.”

The Wyre Flood Forum will next meet on September 14.