Leasowe pensioners fear more flooding as Wirral Council considers flats planning application

May 26 2009 by Richard Down, Liverpool Echo

FLOOD victims are living in fear of further washouts as developers seek to build on a flood plain.

A couple who lost everything when sewage deluged their Leasowe home are furious Wirral council is even considering allowing building work to go ahead.

June and Alan Fletcher, of Reedville Road, had 15 inches of dirty water gush into their bungalow from over-burdened drains in September last year.

Everything from carpets to furniture was ruined at a cost of tens of thousands of pounds.

But despite the couples repeated complaints that the drainage system is overloaded, another 30 properties are planned just down the road.

Mr Fletcher, 62, said: "It's an absolutely horrendous situation.

"Council planners have deferred PHP Developments proposal for three consecutive months to make sure that they have properly looked at all alternatives, but the application is still live."

Mr and Mrs Fletcher have only just moved back in six months after the last floods.

Mrs Fletcher said: "My heart sank. We had to come home from our holidays to find our bungalow had been flooded in rank sewage.

"Our insurers told us we had to move out and live in a caravan for about two months, but we ended up renting a house because it was getting too cold to go on."

Despite sandbags and pumps being sent out by the council, their garden was also ruined.

At one point, there were fears the water damage had made the house too dangerous to live in.

The stress caused Mr Fletcher to suffer severe asthma attacks and Mrs Fletcher depression.