'Abandoned' Seaforth residents hold emergency meeting three weeks on from heavy floods

ITV Granada Reports correspondent Andy Bonner has been speaking to some of the residents affected by the flood.

Homeowners and tenants who were forced out of their homes by heavy flooding have held an emergency meeting to "demand answers" from landlords and water companies.

More than 40 residents on Bulwer Street in Seaforth, Sefton, were made to evacuate on 30 October after a months worth of rain fell in just 24 hours, flooding the streets with contaminated water and destroying homes.

It's the third time the street has flooded in the last 14 years, despite homeowners being told it wouldn't happen again.

Three weeks on, some residents say they feel "abandoned" by their landlords and have no idea when they'll be allowed back into their homes.

Joan Porter has lived on Bulwer Street for close to 30 years. She was out shopping when she got a call from her husband telling her water was seeping into their house.

At the time, Joan said: “My brand new sofa is just floating in the living room. We’re going to lose everything again, like we did the last time.”

Three weeks on, Joan and her husband are living with her daughter and are unsure when they'll be able to return to their home.

Joan said: "Everything's had to be ripped out and put in a skip. All that you can smell is damp.

"I'm under a lot of stress at the moment with it. It's affected my mental health. That's just hit the floor. And not only with me but a couple of the other residents are the same."

Joan rents her property form One Vision Housing, and is relying on them to fix the damages caused by the flooding.

Standing in her torn out kitchen, Joan explains that "things have come to a standstill now" and it's unclear what's being done to fix her home.

She said: "They don't want to face us. They don't know what's going on. So if we ask questions they can't answer them."

Just a few doors down, 74-year-old John Smart owns his home and has taken it upon himself to save his property, from which he was rescued by emergency services.

John Smart had to be rescued from his home by the fire service

John now has heaters and dryers working all day and night to prepare his home for repairs.

He said: "They're drying inside here and the back kitchen and the hallway. And I just say, you know, you can hardly breathe in here for the heat. It's like an oven."

This is the third time John's home has been flooded, and he has once again been forced to move into temporary accommodation.

He said: "The first time around I was six months out the house. It's happened three times. And why is it happening again? That's all we want to know. Why is it happening?"

There have been two historical incidences of flooding reported on the street over the past 14 years.

The first flood occurred in 2010 when a torrential rain storm flooded homes and closed roads in and around Seaforth and Bootle.

The other incident happened in 2013 when a summer storm hit Merseyside and caused severe flooding on Bulwer Street including sewage water.

At an emergency meeting on 23 October, residents met with United Utilities to demand answers on when they would be allowed into their homes and what was being done to prevent future flooding.

A United Utilities spokesperson said: “We speak regularly with the residents and welcomed the opportunity to join their meeting to provide an update and address any concerns. Supporting them through this difficult time remains our priority and we sought to reassure residents that we are doing everything we can to get them back into their properties as quicky as possible.

“We are currently investigating the cause of this incident, which is different to the flooding in 2010. We will share the results when the investigations are complete, which we expect to be at our next meeting in November

“Recovery work is underway, and our current plans suggest homes are unlikely to be ready before April 2025. We understand the difficulties this presents, and we continue to support residents by arranging and covering the cost of alternative accommodation. We are also discussing compensation claims with residents individually and we are committed to ensuring that any lost or damaged goods are replaced where possible.”

For Joan, she feels she finally has some idea of what's being done to save her home.

However, not every landlord on the street attended the meeting, leaving many residents without answers.

Joan said: "They've got their own reasons why they haven't come, but shame on them."

Labour MP Peter Dowd attended the meeting, and called on landlords to work with tenants to get them back into their homes.

He said: "It's absolutely crucial that where their tenants have been affected, that they do speak to the tenants. Now, I will raise those issues with One Vision Housing and ask them those questions and meet with them to get their responses."

A spokesperson for One Vision Housing said: "We continue to work closely with the local authority and partner agencies to provide ongoing support to One Vision Housing customers affected by the flooding on Bulwer Street, Bootle. Our direct approach to date has enabled customers to raise matters promptly, receiving timely and tailored support. We will therefore continue to liaise with customers directly on a case-by-case basis.

"All contractors have been appointed by United Utilities, insurers and loss adjusters.

"The Forshaw Group were not appointed as primary contractors for the 11 One Vision Housing homes impacted, however, continue to support in delivering specialist services to the properties.

"Our in-house contractor was instructed to deliver the repair works required to our impacted properties which will continue.

"Through this proactive approach we will prioritise One Vision Housing customers and ensure the completion of works at the earliest opportunity."

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