Leading Councillor Demands Action After Festive Floods Hit Eight Roads
Pendle’s deputy leader urges swift action to address recent flooding issues affecting local roads after heavy rainfall.
Pendle, UK, Flooding, Cllr David Whipp, Lancashire County Council
Pendle: Recently, heavy rain caused some serious flooding in the West Craven area. Eight roads were affected, and it’s been a real mess.
Cllr David Whipp, the deputy leader of Pendle Council, is pretty frustrated. He’s calling on Lancashire County Council to step up their game and fix the drainage issues.
The floods hit right after New Year’s Eve, with rivers overflowing and even a canal in Cheshire collapsing. It’s been a wild start to 2025!
Whipp plans to bring this up at the West Craven Committee meeting on Tuesday. He’s already reached out to both Lancashire and North Yorkshire councils about the flooding.
He joked about the wet welcome to the new year but also pointed out that flood defenses in Earby held up pretty well.
Whipp hopes to see some upstream storage created on Wentcliffe Beck to help reduce flooding risks in Water Street, which is a real trouble spot.
He mentioned that many of these flooding issues could be fixed with better drainage and maintenance. It’s not rocket science!
He’s adamant that Lancashire County Council knows about these problems and just needs to take action.
Flooding is a big deal for towns and villages in West Craven, especially along the A56 road.
Whipp highlighted specific areas like Bracewell Lane and Barnoldswick Road, where flooding has become a regular headache.
He pointed out that improving drains and upsizing gulleys could really help manage the water flow.
In some spots, like the A56 near the Punch Bowl pub, the culvert isn’t doing its job, and it’s causing major issues.
He also mentioned a dangerous situation on the B6252 at Ghyll, where flooding has led to serious accidents.
Whipp has even raised concerns about flooding in Church Lane, Thornton-in-Craven, with North Yorkshire Council.
Cllr Rupert Swarbrick from Lancashire County Council responded, saying they take flood management seriously and are working on strategies to improve the situation.
They’re waiting to see what comes out of the upcoming West Craven Area committee meeting and are committed to collaborating on this issue.