IN response to Tony Brown’s letter ‘Open gates’, May 13, the flooding in Sankey Valley was caused by Sankey Brook and not Sankey Canal.

If the council lowers the bed of the dried up canal leading up to Bewsey Lock then a lot of potential flood water can be diverted into the canal, which has large overflow systems because in the past the canal coped with a large surplus of water that was fed into it from Sankey Brook.

I’ve been giving some thought to solving the flooding problems with Sankey Brook and Dallam.

The old Dallam Brook was filled in to build Cromwell Avenue and should be reopened from the north side of Cromwell Avenue, and supplied from a spillway in the banks of Sankey Brook, when it could take at least 25 per cent of Sankey Brook’s flow when the water level is reaching a dangerous level.

Splitting this flow will eliminate the chance of overflowing when passing Dallam.

This will need to dispense with the plan to build walls and embankments on both sides of Sankey Brook to also prevent flooding in Callands.

I feel that the walls/embankments will have to be at least 1km long to prevent the flood water going round the structures.

They will also spoil the current walks and views.

Dallam Brook was the original route of the brook before the canal was built and was used to remove the excess water from the canal.

KEITH THOMPSON Westbrook