Town spared flood misery

Published on 21st June 2007 in News

Residents of a flood-prone housing estate have finally been spared the misery of previous years - despite being battered by torrential rain last Friday.

In August 2006, the Goole Times described how floodwater seeped into homes in the Millennium Way area, and how Bob Matthews, then 93, had to be carried out by firefighters.

And while a resident of the same area said that on Friday night "It got quite close," the homes escaped flood damage.

The resident, who has now moved out of her house on Millennium Way, but still lives nearby, said: "It went up to the top of the kerb.

"I was a bit panicky for the person living in my old house."

Several of the houses in the area are owned by Headrow Housing, and the resident said that their office, on Delamere Walk, "wasn't far off being flooded."

However, she said: "It stopped raining before it got that bad."

A spokesperson for Goole Fire Station said they had not been called to the Millennium Way area and Andy Kemp, neighbourhood services co-ordinator for Headrow Housing, confirmed: "It was a bit hairy at one stage but there was no flooding at all - the system managed to contain the amount of rainwater."

Mr Kemp said this was partly due to the area not receiving as much rain as other areas - such as Hull, where there was extensive flooding - did.

He also told the Goole Times about work that has been carried out since last August to ease the flooding problem.

"Yorkshire Water have rectified a 45 degree angle on a sewer in Hook Road, where it connected with the Fairfield Estate.

"It was quite an acute angle, and the water was backing up."

Work has also been carried out to connect the drainage system into another main sewer, leading to the centre of Goole, which will help carry away the water.

And on Monday, work will begin to change part of the drainage system, increasing its capacity.

Unfortunately, other areas in Goole did not fare so well.

Brian Knight, landlord of The First and Last Inn on South Street, spent most of his weekend pumping out the pub's cellar.

It began filling up on Friday afternoon, and was 18 inches deep by 10pm that night.

And Vermuyden School closed its doors to students last Friday, and on Monday, due to the severe weather. (* See Page 9)

Mr Matthews, the pensioner whose house was flooded last August for the fourth time since 1982, has since moved into another property.