Reader's Photo: Flood water being pumped from A34 into Whitehall Brook after Storm Barra

Peter Taylor sent us these photos taken whilst he went for a walk along the Wilmslow bypass to the railway bridge this morning (Friday, 10th December). 

He told wilmslow.co.uk "I think these shots illustrate why it is best not to drive into flood water!

"The two tractors are pumping water into the Whitehall Brook, I think that the on-site underground pumps had become drowned some while ago, obviously the tanks were not only full they were under several feet of water.

"Judging by the marks on the wall I think the cars may have been completely submerged yesterday."

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Comments

Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.

Andy Brown
Friday 10th December 2021 at 8:54 pm
At least all the money was spent on a useless cycle path that no one uses and I say that as a cyclist myself.
Tony Haluradivth
Saturday 11th December 2021 at 10:32 pm
Snd WHY were the pumps not inspected or maintained...yet again!
Tony Haluradivth
Monday 13th December 2021 at 8:41 am
Clearly the tractor efforts have not worked as apparently the roads are still closed . This has now gone on since Thursday ..we had a drier day yesterday, the Council interactive Highways map has crashed today too. Please can Craig Browne give us an update and prognosis . Apparently Alderley Road too is closed according to National Radio. Highways Customer service have no information and the CEC Highways twitter too is out of date. Over to you Craig
Stuart Redgard
Monday 13th December 2021 at 12:36 pm
I took a walk down the road on Sunday afternoon at about 1:30 pm and there was no activity taking place. There was one abandoned vehicle on the northbound carriageway, and both North and southbound carriageways were still flooded.

I went again today at about 1:00 pm and there was one tractor pumping. The Northbound carriageway was clear but there was still standing water on the southbound carriage way.

The abandoned vehicle had gone, but the road surface on both carriageways was covered in mud.
Craig Browne
Monday 13th December 2021 at 2:32 pm
Dear all,

I have contacted CE Highways for an update and would like to share the following information with everyone. As a result of the sheer volume of rainwater we have experienced locally following the two recent storms, the pumping station that services the northbound carriageway has failed and is damaged beyond repair (the pumping station is serviced regularly under contract with a third party). CE Highways are currently considering how to resolve this issue utilising temporary pumps, although an effective long term solution is likely to be complex. It is anticipated that Pendleton Way will reopen tomorrow (Tuesday); however, this is dependent upon no further significant rainfall overnight. I will provide a further update as soon as I am able to, but thank everyone for their patience in the meantime.

Kind regards,
Craig
Tony Haluradivth
Tuesday 14th December 2021 at 11:21 am
Thanks Craig for the update.
Perhaps for Ringway Jacob's part their oversight in checking that this 3rd party contractor did the maintenance correctly has fallen by the wayside (excuse the pun). The bypass has been there for a few years now. We have had rain like this before (yes really we have). I would love to go through those "signed off " reports with a forensic toothcomb.( Happy to offer my services free as I know that our REAL CEC engineers are
immensly busy. ;))
The bypass (Pendleton Way) is not open today and Heyes lane, Alderley Edge and Wilmslow are dealing with immense HGV traffic as a result. Subcontractors of subcontractors working for public bodies do treat them as pushovers. That subcontractor now needs to be summoned to the head teacher's office as they have some explaining to do. Who is that 3rd party company Craig.or can we at least have a refund? I suggest you need a rottweiler type to ask those serious questions. There is no advanced warning signage or diversion signage in place and the CEC interactive Highways map crashed yesterday, it had not been properly updated...I have not looked today however...we really do need and appreciate our bypass when stuff like this hapoens . For a start delivery drivers have probably tripled or quadrupled in number since Pendleton Way was constructed and the pandemic has seen an increase in this kind of logistics.... (sorry if this is duplicated the form submission was playing up)
Sally Hirst
Tuesday 14th December 2021 at 12:04 pm
Having taken the opportunity to walk my dog along the verge at 10.50 this morning the bypass had less water lying on it than Alderley Road. 2 men were working on the bypass, one man in a tractor and one man looking over the bridge at water being pumped by the tractor. Dirt was on the road and central reservation.
Why was the road not being cleaned for opening?
Is the tractor also pumping the new lake on the business site that is being constructed?
At that time an ambulance had to travel into Wilmslow past heavy standing traffic.
Why not a ditch/pipe to Whitehall Brook, why a pump?
Why do we rely on pumps so heavily when roads were constructed with gravity drainage during the industrial revolution.
Why not add a foot/cycle path joining the school to Whitehall Brook roundabout whilst the problem is being solved. It would have been great to have had a NEW footpath!
Please could Counsellor Browne answer these questions and expand on the idea of a third lane towards Whitehall Brook roundabout that he included in one of his responses?
Thank you from a fascinated reader
Tony Haluradivth
Tuesday 14th December 2021 at 6:53 pm
Sally excellent observation...thank you.