Dallam Brook flooding leaves woman a ‘nervous wreck'

Jean Daniels only moved back in less than two months ago following extremely damaging flooding in the area in January, and once again with Dallam Brook flooding overnight, it has left residents like concerned.

Her nephew, Mark Roberts who describes her as a ‘mum-like figure’, hopes her and fellow residents on Longshaw Street can be helped.

“She is constantly living in fear and is a nervous wreck. It’s so unfair on her and the whole area which includes elderly people in bungalows,” Mark, of Latchford, said.

“It’s not even the money or the house, it’s the mental side of it. Being in bed and thinking that you could go downstairs and there could be water everywhere, it makes her not want to leave the house to make sure it’s protected – it’s not the way to live.

“She’s like ‘I don’t want to live here anymore’, she wants someone to take her seriously.

“Everything had to go last time and even stuff upstairs had to go due to the damp.

“It’s not a small problem, it’s a big problem. It’s an issue that needs to be dealt with. It’s not about them spitting their dummies out of the pram, they have been dealing with it for a long time.”

Dallam Brook is filled with rubbish, which Mark says does not help when it floods.

Dallam Brook last night

He added: “You can see it’s overgrown and filled with rubbish. The brook is the problem because it has got nowhere to go, the drains overflow because they can’t drain through the brook.

“The council have promised time and time again that they will get it dug out, but they just don’t do anything at all.

“Last night her daughters went around there consoling her because she’s just a total mess all the time.

“You can’t continue like this. We appreciate there is money shortages, but even something like a flood barrier would help.”

Mark praised the insurance company that helped her last time foot a bill towards £100k worth of damages, but he worries that she won’t be covered in future if the flooding continues.

Jean, in her late 50s, lives with her husband and their two dogs and lived with her daughter until the house was fixed.

Jean's drive and to the left, her neighbours

“Next door where the garage is flooded already,” Mark continued.

“In fairness to the council, last time it happened, they couldn’t have done anything. But this time they can.

Previously, Andy Carter MP was campaigning to improve flood defences in the area.

The Environment Agency is working on a project to improve the defences along the Sankey and Dallam brooks.