This is a summary of all the events / comments for September
Flood Alerts this month
A flood alert was issued on 3rd Sept, but looking at the stats it appears to be wishful thinking. Alert stood down at 3:45AM on 4th Sept
Flooding to Moss Side Lane – road impassable due to overflowing watercourse
Envirionmental Agency to look at Whites watercourse which is overflowing onto land to the east. - LCC (Highways) to consider raising road levels
The work is still ongoing
- The investigation is still ongoing to the banks of the tributary and LCC Highways/ FRM Team are looking at use of portable pumping solution to lower the water levels in the watercourse to enable the inspection of the flap valves to take place. - Further investigation of flap valves required. - LCC Asset Team investigation into wall ownership has been submitted to LCC Legal Team. FRM Team and Highways awaiting outcome into ownership. - Ongoing. Issue is being dealt with by LCC Legal Team to determine ownership and responsibility.
Garstang Flood Barrier
It has been confirmed that the gate has been removed and works are being undertaken to repair the concrete structure inside the basin and fit new bracket. He confirmed that the works programme has been delayed slightly and the gate is now not expected to be installed until the end of October. Much of the work is visible from the public bridge, but he WFG is happy to arrange a visit for FLAG members if there is sufficient interest.
Property Flood Resilience funding It has been reported that the window for applications for Property Flood Resilience funding has now closed and noted that Wyre Council has made a number of bids on behalf of residents. The Assurance Group would be meeting on 7 September to assess the bids and to decide who will get the allocation for the northwest. Finance will be made available in April 2027. I have asked for dunding for temporary flood defences for Raikes Farm in Great Eccleston as the buildinf is very close to the road. No other Councillors sent information.
Flood warderns
Can councillors read the following then send me ideas / comments before the October meeting.
Following the BRC exercise a plan needs to be put into place for flood wardern volunteers. A flood wardern would knock on all doors within one hour of a major flood (danger to life) being alerted. The plan wiould be to set up a WhatsApp group for the flood warderns and then this combined with the use of the ERAL readio system would help alert villagers in the flood risk areas. The main contacts with WBC, EA, LCC would be made by the remain with a Head Warden and a Deputy.
Raikes road Drain
It has been reported that UU are looking to reroute the surface water drainage from Raikes Road, Great Eccleston. Currently the drain discharges into UU’s CSO into the River Wyre and they are concerned that this is affecting their discharge records as it appears as a CSO discharge rather than a surface water discharge. They are proposing to construct a separate discharge point for the surface water directly into the river.
Drains on A586
I reported to the Flood Forum in June that a lot of the drains on the south side of A586 west of Great Eccleston (within Fylde BC area) are in a poor condition with many of them with large potholes around them. She asked that these be looked into. DAs added that the highway drains in the footpath on the Great Eccleston Bypass are also blocked – he said that they regularly get covered when the grass is cut and asked that these be checked. No action had been taken on this, but following the September meeting they promised to action this again.
Great Eccleston FLAG - Wyre Flood Forum report back DAs noted that the watercourse to the east side of the footpath leading to the UU pumping station off the Bypass was in need of clearing. This had been previously discussed with the owner, but no works undertaken; DAs noted that the land has now been sold and asked that the new owner be contacted to have the works undertaken.
• DAs reported that the FLAG has recently taken part in a flood exercise with British Red Cross. The exercise simulated flooding in the village and used the Emergency Radio Area Link (ERAL) Network. He added that another exercise is planned for August. He said that this was an excellent test of the FLAGs plans and highlighted areas that needed updating. He said that any other FLAG wishing to get involved should contact him for details.
Report on the Multi-Agency Flood Training – 28 April (Marine Hall) I attended this training session.
We delivered a multi-agency flood training session on 28 April at Marine Hall, which was a real success. • There was full representation from partner agencies, providing a strong overview of roles and responsibilities during flood events. • It was particularly valuable to have community groups represented, and we would like to thank those from the Flood Forum who attended. • We also appreciate the feedback on the flood summary sheets and the developing Wyre Severe Weather and Flood Plan, which is helping shape this work. • While these sessions do not replace the experience of responding to a real incident, they are vital opportunities to build relationships, improve understanding, and connect face-to-face, which strengthens our overall response capability.
Are You Prepared for Flooding? Leaflet • The ‘Are You Prepared for Flooding?’ leaflet has been finalised since the last forum meeting. It’s aimed to help residents understand how to prepare for and respond to flood risks. • Additional copies are available today, and we encourage groups to take and sharethese within their communities.
Rest Centre Plan – Major Update For information the Council currently has: • 5 Level 2 rest centres (larger, fully equipped venues) • 12 Level 1 rest centres (smaller venues across the borough) These venues have agreed to support us in emergencies, providing good geographical coverage across Wyre. This network gives us strong capacity to respond not only to incidents like fires, but also in the event of a significant flooding incident or wider emergency.
Our rest sentre is the WI Hall, Chapel Street and the Emergency Base is the Village Centre, High St.
Sandbag collection
If an amber or red flood warning is issued then sandbags will be made available from the depots
Clearing the gulleys
With potential problems this Autumn it is encouraged that villagers should clear gulleys to reduce the threat of surface water
Flooding to property
No reported flooding to property this month so far
Surface Water flooding planning
This is not part of the planning application
Preparing for El Nino
It is important that the radio sysyem all works GE1 tested monthly, GE2 and GE Base have not been tested since inception
Flood Plan Updates
This is currently under review.
Survey of vulnerabler infrastructure
We are leading the way in Lancashire o this. Volunteers needed to update the survey of Communication, telecommunication and power hubs in the village. Further details from the flood officer
Environment issues
More grants available - details shortly
Points from the Flood Forum
A586 Great Eccleston Bypass David Astall reported that the drainage had not yet been cleared and there remained flooding to the cycle path. MC agreed to look into this.
Works to repair the east gate of the Garstang flood barrier are in progress; the gate has now been removed and taken away for repair. Reinstallation of the gate may be delayed until the new year as works are heavily dependent on wind speeds. In the meantime, west gate remains operational.
AC confirmed that Wyre Council has submitted an application for Property Flood Resilience funding; this is a pot of money for improving property flood resilience by installing flood doors, flood gates or other similar measures to individual properties. Wyre Council has submitted a bid to undertake initial property surveys which will be considered by the Regional Flood and Coastal Committee (RFCC) in October.
One property in Raikes road has been included
RB asked why the reinstallation of the Garstang east gate was expected to be further delayed until next year. RT replied that it is expected that the average wind speed over the winter period would be too high to safely crane in the new gate. The gate weighs approximately 18 tonnes with a large surface area and would be extremely difficult to manoeuvre in strong winds. RB asked whether the reason for the failure of the hinge been determined so that the risk of a repeat failure could be minimised. RT replied that that the hinge was deformed and had damaged the concrete to which it was fixed. It is likely that the gate was lifting at a skewed angle which suggests an obstruction to one side of the gate during operation. CG noted that the west gate is of a similar construction and there is a risk that a similar failure could happen to that one. RT replied that divers had inspected the west gate and were satisfied that it remained in good order.
RW noted that the screen at the bottom of the gate is pushed in at the side next to the piston and the gate itself had a large kink in it. He considered that this was due to the force in the piston and suggested that this could be avoided in future by putting a control on the piston so that the pressure could be dropped if an obstruction between the gate and the wall occurred. RT replied that the gate is manually operated and there are two operatives on site to monitor it. Additionally, there is an automatic cut off to prevent an obstruction blocking the gate closure. He conceded that it looks like one side of the gate may have been obstructed and this caused the gate to skew during lifting – he would ask GK to report back any findings to the Forum.
Highways
MC gave a summary of the works undertaken by LCC (Highways) • The cyclic gulley cleaning programmes A (12-month cleaning cycle) and C (24-month cleaning cycle) are continuing. Additionally, reactive clearing of gulleys (for example, those reported through Love Clean Streets) are also being completed.
Whenever a severe weather event is forecast, it is planned to put a pallet of sandbags outside the entrance to the Singleton works depot that members of the public can access should they need some. This is a pilot scheme to see whether this is a viable option to help residents protect their properties. CG noted that Wyre Council has tried a similar exercise in the past but found that some residents were taking large numbers for themselves and they very soon disappeared. RB commented that the main consideration during a flooding event is the protection of critical infrastructure and the use of council sandbags should be for protection of pumping stations, telecommunications and electrical substations. He noted that long term forecasts are for heavy rainfall and the clearing of road gullies in advance is critical.
Great Eccleston FLAG • DA reported that the flood exercise with British Red Cross planned for August did not go ahead. He added that if any other FLAG were interested in a similar event he had details from the previous exercise and would be happy to discuss this. • DA said that he has received an email from PL concerning the surface water outfall from Raikes Road. The drain discharges through part of UU overflow pipe and UU are looking to remove it from their pipe and install a dedicated outfall into the River Wyre. He noted that the ownership of the land was in dispute following the recent death of the previous owner. • DA noted that he had undertaken a recent survey of communication cabinets in the village to highlight vulnerable communication infrastructure that could be affected by flooding. He said the FLAG uses the ERAL radio system for communication where normal communications are affected by flooding or similar issues. CG asked that DA forward a copy of his survey for other FLAGs to use as a template.
Emergency Planning Update: AD gave an update on emergency planning works undertaken by Wyre Council
Severe Weather and Flood Preparedness Following recent national discussions regarding the potential for an increased risk of severe weather and flooding later in the year, we will be undertaking a review of our severe weather and flood preparedness arrangements later this month. This work will include: • Reviewing our severe weather and flood response procedures. • Refreshing and validating response arrangements for both normal office hours and out-of-hours incidents. • Inspecting flood response equipment and replenishing supplies where required. • Providing refresher training and awareness sessions for relevant officers. • Reviewing lessons identified from recent incidents and discussing how we would respond to future severe weather and flooding events. As part of this work, we are also reviewing and maintaining our flood mitigation assets, including: • Ongoing upgrade works to the Royles Brook Pump Station. • Inspection, testing, and maintenance of the Council's mobile pumping resources. • Reviewing arrangements associated with our temporary pumping plans at Sunnyside and Churchtown.
These measures help ensure our equipment and infrastructure remain operational and ready for deployment should it be required. It may also be useful to remind members that, while Lancashire County Council maintains stocks of sandbags at a number of its depots, Wyre Council does not hold large quantities of sandbags for distribution to residents. The Council maintains a limited stock to help protect critical infrastructure and key assets where necessary. Residents and businesses should therefore continue to make their own preparations for flooding where possible. I would also like to thank David and the Great Eccleston Flood Action Group for sharing information on the additional resilience measures and equipment available within the community. This includes local resources such as emergency communications equipment, radios and communications masts, this information is useful for updating the Flood Summary Sheets.
2. Lancashire Resilience Forum Flood Plan The Lancashire Resilience Forum (LRF) Flood Plan has now been issued for consultation. The plan is due for formal review in November. Wyre Council Officers will be reviewing the document and providing comments through the consultation process. The plan continues to provide the framework for how responding agencies work together during significant flood events across Lancashire. 3. Multi-Agency Flood Training The Lancashire Resilience Forum is currently planning its next multi-agency flood training event for partners. This year's exercise will be hosted by Hyndburn Borough Council. Several Wyre Council officers will be attending to support continued learning and partnership working. These events provide a valuable opportunity to share experiences, develop relationships, and improve understanding of each organisation's role during flood incident
PL noted that the National Planning Policy Framework has been recently updated and members might be interested in noting the update, particularly where it relates to the maintenance of SuDS.
Why it is important to report a flood incident
The term ‘flood’ is defined in Section 1 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 as:
"includes any case where land not normally covered by water becomes covered by water."
It does not include flooding from a burst water main or any part of the sewage network (unless caused by the volume of rainwater entering the system).
Lancashire County Council, as the Lead Local Flood Authority, strongly encourages all flood incidents to be reported to us so that we can investigate these in accordance with the county council's duty and policies outlined in this document.
If you have flooded but don’t report the flood incident to us, we are unlikely to be able to validate and investigate. You can read more about the importance of reporting flooding on The Flood Hub.
September Commentary
Welcome to the September Commentary
This is a summary of all the events / comments for September
Flood Alerts this month
A flood alert was issued on 3rd Sept, but looking at the stats it appears to be wishful thinking. Alert stood down at 3:45AM on 4th Sept
Flooding to Moss Side Lane – road impassable due to overflowing watercourse
Envirionmental Agency to look at Whites watercourse which is overflowing onto land to the east. - LCC (Highways) to consider raising road levels
The work is still ongoing
- The investigation is still ongoing to the banks of the tributary and LCC Highways/ FRM Team are looking at use of portable pumping
solution to lower the water levels in the watercourse to enable the inspection of the flap valves to take place.
- Further investigation of flap valves required.
- LCC Asset Team investigation into wall ownership has been submitted to LCC Legal Team. FRM Team and Highways awaiting outcome into ownership.
- Ongoing. Issue is being dealt with by LCC Legal Team to determine ownership and responsibility.
Garstang Flood Barrier
It has been confirmed that the gate has been removed and works are being undertaken to repair the concrete structure inside the basin and fit new bracket. He confirmed that the works programme has been delayed slightly and the gate is now not expected to be installed until the end of October.
Much of the work is visible from the public bridge, but he WFG is happy to arrange a visit for FLAG members if there
is sufficient interest.
Property Flood Resilience funding
It has been reported that the window for applications for Property Flood Resilience funding has now closed and noted that Wyre Council has made a number of bids on behalf of residents. The Assurance Group would be meeting on 7 September to assess
the bids and to decide who will get the allocation for the northwest. Finance will be made available in April 2027. I have asked for dunding for temporary flood defences for Raikes Farm in Great Eccleston as the buildinf is very close to the road. No other Councillors sent information.
Flood warderns
Can councillors read the following then send me ideas / comments before the October meeting.
Following the BRC exercise a plan needs to be put into place for flood wardern volunteers. A flood wardern would knock on all doors within one hour of a major flood (danger to life) being alerted. The plan wiould be to set up a WhatsApp group for the flood warderns and then this combined with the use of the ERAL readio system would help alert villagers in the flood risk areas.
The main contacts with WBC, EA, LCC would be made by the remain with a Head Warden and a Deputy.
Raikes road Drain
It has been reported that UU are looking to reroute the surface water drainage from Raikes Road, Great Eccleston. Currently the drain discharges into UU’s CSO into the River Wyre and they are concerned that this is affecting their discharge records as it appears as a CSO discharge rather than a surface water discharge. They are proposing to construct a separate discharge point for the surface water directly into the river.
Drains on A586
I reported to the Flood Forum in June that a lot of the drains on the south side of A586 west of Great Eccleston (within Fylde BC area) are in a poor condition with many of them with large potholes around them. She asked that these be looked into. DAs added that the highway
drains in the footpath on the Great Eccleston Bypass are also blocked – he said that they regularly get covered when the grass is cut and asked that these be checked. No action had been taken on this, but following the September meeting they promised to action this again.
Great Eccleston FLAG - Wyre Flood Forum report back
DAs noted that the watercourse to the east side of the footpath leading to the UU pumping station off the Bypass was in need of clearing. This had been previously discussed with the owner, but no works undertaken; DAs noted that the land has now been sold and asked that the new owner be contacted to have the works undertaken.
• DAs reported that the FLAG has recently taken part in a flood exercise with British Red Cross. The exercise simulated flooding in the village and used the Emergency Radio Area Link (ERAL) Network. He added that another exercise is planned for August. He said that this was an excellent test of the FLAGs plans and highlighted areas that needed updating. He said that any other FLAG wishing to get involved
should contact him for details.
Report on the Multi-Agency Flood Training – 28 April (Marine Hall)
I attended this training session.
We delivered a multi-agency flood training session on 28 April at Marine Hall, which was a real success.
• There was full representation from partner agencies, providing a strong overview of roles and responsibilities during flood events.
• It was particularly valuable to have community groups represented, and we would like to thank those from the Flood Forum who attended.
• We also appreciate the feedback on the flood summary sheets and the developing Wyre Severe Weather and Flood Plan, which is helping shape this work.
• While these sessions do not replace the experience of responding to a real incident, they are vital opportunities to build relationships, improve understanding, and connect face-to-face, which strengthens our overall response capability.
Are You Prepared for Flooding? Leaflet
• The ‘Are You Prepared for Flooding?’ leaflet has been finalised since the last forum meeting. It’s aimed to help residents understand how to prepare for and respond to flood risks.
• Additional copies are available today, and we encourage groups to take and sharethese within their communities.
Rest Centre Plan – Major Update
For information the Council currently has:
• 5 Level 2 rest centres (larger, fully equipped venues)
• 12 Level 1 rest centres (smaller venues across the borough)
These venues have agreed to support us in emergencies, providing good geographical coverage across Wyre. This network gives us strong capacity to respond not only to incidents like fires, but also in the event of a significant flooding incident or wider emergency.
Our rest sentre is the WI Hall, Chapel Street and the Emergency Base is the Village Centre, High St.
Sandbag collection
If an amber or red flood warning is issued then sandbags will be made available from the depots
Clearing the gulleys
With potential problems this Autumn it is encouraged that villagers should clear gulleys to reduce the threat of surface water
Flooding to property
No reported flooding to property this month so far
Surface Water flooding planning
This is not part of the planning application
Preparing for El Nino
It is important that the radio sysyem all works GE1 tested monthly, GE2 and GE Base have not been tested since inception
Flood Plan Updates
This is currently under review.
Survey of vulnerabler infrastructure
We are leading the way in Lancashire o this. Volunteers needed to update the survey of Communication, telecommunication and power hubs in the village. Further details from the flood officer
Environment issues
More grants available - details shortly
Points from the Flood Forum
A586 Great Eccleston Bypass
David Astall reported that the drainage had not yet been cleared and there remained flooding to the cycle path. MC agreed to look into this.
Works to repair the east gate of the Garstang flood barrier are in progress; the gate has now been removed and taken away for repair. Reinstallation of the gate may be delayed until the new year as works are heavily dependent on wind speeds. In the meantime, west gate remains operational.
AC confirmed that Wyre Council has submitted an application for Property Flood
Resilience funding; this is a pot of money for improving property flood resilience by
installing flood doors, flood gates or other similar measures to individual properties.
Wyre Council has submitted a bid to undertake initial property surveys which will be
considered by the Regional Flood and Coastal Committee (RFCC) in October.
One property in Raikes road has been included
RB asked why the reinstallation of the Garstang east gate was expected to be further
delayed until next year. RT replied that it is expected that the average wind speed over
the winter period would be too high to safely crane in the new gate. The gate weighs
approximately 18 tonnes with a large surface area and would be extremely difficult to
manoeuvre in strong winds. RB asked whether the reason for the failure of the hinge
been determined so that the risk of a repeat failure could be minimised. RT replied that
that the hinge was deformed and had damaged the concrete to which it was fixed. It is
likely that the gate was lifting at a skewed angle which suggests an obstruction to one
side of the gate during operation.
CG noted that the west gate is of a similar construction and there is a risk that a similar
failure could happen to that one. RT replied that divers had inspected the west gate and
were satisfied that it remained in good order.
RW noted that the screen at the bottom of the gate is pushed in at the side next to the
piston and the gate itself had a large kink in it. He considered that this was due to the
force in the piston and suggested that this could be avoided in future by putting a control
on the piston so that the pressure could be dropped if an obstruction between the gate
and the wall occurred. RT replied that the gate is manually operated and there are two
operatives on site to monitor it. Additionally, there is an automatic cut off to prevent an
obstruction blocking the gate closure. He conceded that it looks like one side of the gate
may have been obstructed and this caused the gate to skew during lifting – he would
ask GK to report back any findings to the Forum.
Highways
MC gave a summary of the works undertaken by LCC (Highways)
• The cyclic gulley cleaning programmes A (12-month cleaning cycle) and C (24-month
cleaning cycle) are continuing. Additionally, reactive clearing of gulleys (for example,
those reported through Love Clean Streets) are also being completed.
Whenever a severe weather event is forecast, it is planned to put a pallet of sandbags
outside the entrance to the Singleton works depot that members of the public can access
should they need some. This is a pilot scheme to see whether this is a viable option to
help residents protect their properties. CG noted that Wyre Council has tried a similar
exercise in the past but found that some residents were taking large numbers for
themselves and they very soon disappeared.
RB commented that the main consideration during a flooding event is the protection of
critical infrastructure and the use of council sandbags should be for protection of
pumping stations, telecommunications and electrical substations. He noted that long
term forecasts are for heavy rainfall and the clearing of road gullies in advance is critical.
Great Eccleston FLAG
• DA reported that the flood exercise with British Red Cross planned for August did not
go ahead. He added that if any other FLAG were interested in a similar event he had
details from the previous exercise and would be happy to discuss this.
• DA said that he has received an email from PL concerning the surface water outfall
from Raikes Road. The drain discharges through part of UU overflow pipe and UU
are looking to remove it from their pipe and install a dedicated outfall into the River
Wyre. He noted that the ownership of the land was in dispute following the recent
death of the previous owner.
• DA noted that he had undertaken a recent survey of communication cabinets in the
village to highlight vulnerable communication infrastructure that could be affected by
flooding. He said the FLAG uses the ERAL radio system for communication where
normal communications are affected by flooding or similar issues. CG asked that DA
forward a copy of his survey for other FLAGs to use as a template.
Emergency Planning Update:
AD gave an update on emergency planning works undertaken by Wyre Council
Severe Weather and Flood Preparedness
Following recent national discussions regarding the potential for an increased risk of
severe weather and flooding later in the year, we will be undertaking a review of our severe
weather and flood preparedness arrangements later this month. This work will include:
• Reviewing our severe weather and flood response procedures.
• Refreshing and validating response arrangements for both normal office hours and
out-of-hours incidents.
• Inspecting flood response equipment and replenishing supplies where required.
• Providing refresher training and awareness sessions for relevant officers.
• Reviewing lessons identified from recent incidents and discussing how we would
respond to future severe weather and flooding events.
As part of this work, we are also reviewing and maintaining our flood mitigation assets,
including:
• Ongoing upgrade works to the Royles Brook Pump Station.
• Inspection, testing, and maintenance of the Council's mobile pumping resources.
• Reviewing arrangements associated with our temporary pumping plans at Sunnyside
and Churchtown.
These measures help ensure our equipment and infrastructure remain operational and ready
for deployment should it be required.
It may also be useful to remind members that, while Lancashire County Council maintains
stocks of sandbags at a number of its depots, Wyre Council does not hold large quantities of
sandbags for distribution to residents. The Council maintains a limited stock to help protect
critical infrastructure and key assets where necessary. Residents and businesses should
therefore continue to make their own preparations for flooding where possible.
I would also like to thank David and the Great Eccleston Flood Action Group for sharing
information on the additional resilience measures and equipment available within the
community. This includes local resources such as emergency communications equipment,
radios and communications masts, this information is useful for updating the Flood Summary
Sheets.
2. Lancashire Resilience Forum Flood Plan
The Lancashire Resilience Forum (LRF) Flood Plan has now been issued for consultation.
The plan is due for formal review in November. Wyre Council Officers will be reviewing the
document and providing comments through the consultation process. The plan continues to
provide the framework for how responding agencies work together during significant flood
events across Lancashire.
3. Multi-Agency Flood Training
The Lancashire Resilience Forum is currently planning its next multi-agency flood training
event for partners. This year's exercise will be hosted by Hyndburn Borough Council. Several
Wyre Council officers will be attending to support continued learning and partnership working.
These events provide a valuable opportunity to share experiences, develop relationships, and
improve understanding of each organisation's role during flood incident
PL noted that the National Planning Policy Framework has been recently updated and
members might be interested in noting the update, particularly where it relates to the
maintenance of SuDS.
Why it is important to report a flood incident
The term ‘flood’ is defined in Section 1 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 as:
"includes any case where land not normally covered by water becomes covered by water."
It does not include flooding from a burst water main or any part of the sewage network (unless caused by the volume of rainwater entering the system).
Lancashire County Council, as the Lead Local Flood Authority, strongly encourages all flood incidents to be reported to us so that we can investigate these in accordance with the county council's duty and policies outlined in this document.
If you have flooded but don’t report the flood incident to us, we are unlikely to be able to validate and investigate. You can read more about the importance of reporting flooding on The Flood Hub.