2 weeks Ago By [email protected] (George Lythgoe)
A roundabout often left underwater is at the centre of a long-running spat. The Mainway East roundabout in Alkrington - to the south of Middleton - was almost submerged when Storm Bert hammer the region last weekend. The water was around 3ft deep in some places, according to ward councillor Dylan Williams.
Some fear future storms could cause much bigger problems. The culvert next to the road collapsed a few years ago, forming a sinkhole. It means water cannot flow away from the road as easily.
READ MORE: The quiet Manchester street named one of the UK’s top hidden gems Coun Williams said that whenever there is a torrential downpour, vehicles are often left stranded. He says he fears the issue could soon impact homes. Road closure at Mainway East Roundabout due flooding (Image: Dylan Williams) The East Middleton councillor says the problem hasn’t been solved because Rochdale council and Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) are locked in a battle over who should pay for the sinkhole to be repaired.
The council says the sinkhole is on the social housing provider's land, so it is RBH's responsibility. RBH bosses say it’s a highways issue, so it's up to the town hall. The work will cost an estimated £150,000.
“Locals are extremely angry about this,” Coun Williams said. “Residents living in Alkrington are suffering. Flooding at Mainway East Roundabout in Middleton (Image: Dylan Williams) “I am concerned there are three more storms on the way and it will flood again and again and again.
It’s crazy, they just need to resolve their issues. This can’t go opossibly to the homes as well if the water gets up there. If the rain continued over the weekend it could’ve flooded the houses.
” Coun Williams was out for hours over the weekend trying to clear the water off the road. He finally managed to get the water flowing after almost 10 hours of graft. Coun Dylan Williams out during the Storm Bert In Alkrington (Image: Dylan Williams) Siobhan McCoy, director of property services at Rochdale Boroughwide Housing, said: “RBH has taken legal advice on this matter and, although the damaged culvert is on our land, our understanding is that it was constructed to facilitate the adjacent roundabout and drain the highway.
Therefore any repairs on it are the responsibility of the Council. “The repairs needed are costly and we have to be sure that we are using our tenants’ rent on things that are our legal responsibility. “We are keen to keep working with the council to resolve this, and have also offered to pay the costs of independent expert counsel to determine where the responsibility lies.
” A spokesperson for Rochdale Borough Council said: “We appreciate the problems this is causing but we do not believe this to be the council’s responsibility and have made this clear to the landowner. This is subject to ongoing discussions, which we hope will be resolved as quickly as possible.”.
