HALTON with AUGHTON post flood meeting, notes.

6.30pm 28.11.17, The Centre@ Halton.

On the Panel
Inspector Russ Barron, response inspector Lancashire Polices Police
Chief Inspector Ian Cooper,
Mark Hutton, Fire station, 9 fire station, tactical commander,
Harvey Danson, Area Highways manager, Lancashire Country Council, Halton resident
Eddie Mills, Lancashire County Council Operations engineer
Paul Blakeley, Lancashire County Council Flood Risk Management, Lancashire County Council
Dianne Taylor, Flood Risk Management, Lancashire County Council
Suzanne Lodge, Chief Officer Health and Housing, Lancaster City Council
Susan Parsonage Chief Executive, Lancaster City Council
Cllr Brendan Hughes, cabinet member with responsibility for clean and green and public safety,
Lancaster City Council,
Mark Davies, Chief Officer, Environment, leading on recovery for Lancaster City Council
Paul Bond, Flood Resilience Advisor, Environment Agency,

Chaired by Cllr. Kevin Frea, representing Halton with Aughton on Lancaster City Council with
approx 250 members of the public present.

Issue: Inadequate clearance of drains and gullies

Not frequently enough and at the wrong times of the year
Parked cars preventing clearance
Leaves blocking drains preventing water running away

Response:
Drain cleaning on major roads like High Road done once a year and of other roads every two
years. High Road cleaned in April, Pennystone Road in August, Foundry Lane in April, Low
Road in September. (County Council)
Parked cars are an issue (City Council)
Leaves would not have caused major blockages, the problem was too much water (City Council)

Action/commitment:
Improve gully cleaning, ensuring it is not hampered by parked cars, by developing and
publicising a schedule with the assistance of Parish Council (Mark Davies at City Council &
Parish Council)

Inadequate drain capacity, especially:

Arrow Lane/High Road
Under the M6 motorway bridge
Foundry Lane
Response:
It was the heaviest rainfall during 24 hours for 50 years, so not surprising drains couldnt cope.
Flooding shouldnt have happened under motorway bridge so soon after construction of new
bridge (County Council Highways)

Action/commitment
Complete survey of the drains/gullies in Halton and then looking for funding to increase capacity
of storm drains ((County Council Area Highways)
Already asked the Heysham M6 link team to look at what happened under motorway bridge, it
should not have flooded, the drain pipe should have been big enough. Will take up with the
developer (County Council Highways)

Lack of oversight, maintenance and responsibility for Cote Beck

Inlet inhibitor on Foundry Lane drain promised by Highways many years ago
Capacity too small in places to cope with volume of debris and water
Blockages not cleared, or cleared in the wrong places
Authorities (Environment Agency, City and County Councils) refusing to take responsibility
Reliance upon land owners to fulfil riparian responsibilities is unrealistic

Action/commitment
Culvert under Cope Beck will be cleared and another survey of the Beck right to the outfall will be
carried out (County Council Flood Risk Management Team)
Explore natural flood management techniques in land surrounding Cote Beck (local landowner and
residents and Lune Valley Flood Forum)

All access routes to Halton prone to flooding

Unable to get in our out of Halton via any route during latest flooding and Storm Desmond
What happens if someone needs emergency treatment

Response:
Emergency services will always respond to a life threatening emergency and get people to
hospital if necessary (Fire Service)
People shouldnt try to drive through flooded roads as this is dangerous and diverts emergency
services from helping others (Fire Service)
Reducing the height of Skerton Weir to pre-1970's level (12" lower) could lower River Level at
Halton by 6ft (local resident)

Concerns that flooding will be exacerbated by the proposed developments

A main source of flooding came from the fields between Kirkby Lonsdale, Arrow Lane & Laverick
Road, precisely where the most contentious development has planning permission.
Drains in Halton cant cope with current demands on it, the new housing will make this worse
Who will be responsible if the developments increase flooding?
Who will be responsible for upgrading the drains to cope with the additional water run-off?
Halton residents have no confidence in the Flood Risk Assessments of the new developments
carried out by the City Council, in particular following the recent flooding
 Outline planning permission has been granted, will the City Council revisit the flooding/drainage
issue when full planning permission is applied for

Response:
The County Council Flood Risk Management Team respond to planning applications of over 10
houses. We can insist that there is adequate drainage on site, but what we cant do is insist
that the developer improves flooding issues off site (County Council)
The City Council is in an impossible position because the central Government has given all the
power to developers, and objections by local government are likely to be overturned by the
Secretary of State involving a large bill for the local authority (Elaine Maxwell, local resident
and flood victim)
We need urgently to complete a Local Plan which will give the City Council more say over
where housing development can happen, we can then say an application is not in a permissible
development area (Cllr John Reynolds, Lancaster City Council who was brought up in Halton)
Flood Risk Assessment will be looked at again in Local Plan development and can be revisited
at full examination. Information about floods will inform all sites in Local Plan (Chief Executive,
Lancaster City Council)

Action/commitment:
Complete Local Plan (City Council)
Parish Council working with Cllr Kevin Frea to develop Neighbourhood Plan to feed into local
plan

Lack of support, and clear contact points during and after flooding
Low Road to motorway bridge not closed until day after the flooding
Who can/should close roads if they are flooded?
Lack of sandbags
Lack of response from non-emergency 101 number
Many people who were flooded got no help from authorities during or after floods
Not clear who is responsible for what, getting sent from person to person

Response:
Emergency services overwhelmed, initially job is to protect property, but then had to protect life
(Fire Services)
Police know we have an issue with our 101 contact centre, and apologise for problems (Police)
Ran out of warning signs there were so many roads flooded (County Council Highways)
Developing a local Flood Resilience Group can help, look to Whalley for a successful model
(Environment Agency and County Council Highways Dept)

Action/commitment
Explore having a supply of sandbags and closed road signs in the Community Centre (Parish
Council and County Council Highways)
Environment Agency offered to be first point of contact
Local team to review and expand the local Emergency Response Plan and create a Flood
Resilience Group (Parish Council, Environment Agency, Lune Valley Flood Forum & others)
 Community Foundation for Lancashire have opened up hardship grants for victims of floods,
contact direct or via Flood Risk Management Team (
Collate and pass on information to County Council - Flood Risk Management Team &
Highways Team - and City Council - Mark Davies Environment Officer - about flood problems
in Halton on night of 22 November (Parish Council and Cllr Kevin Frea)

Notes compiled by Alison Cahn (Journalist) and Luke Mills (Parish Clerk).