Council explains why Leicestershire town was turned into 'giant paddling pool' in storms

Flooding in Market Harborough town centre following storms
-Credit: (Image: Harborough Resident)


Torrential rain across the county and much of the country saw one Leicestershire town centre disappear under water. Market Harborough was turned into “a giant paddling pool”, one witness told LeicestershireLive.

Damage to businesses and homes in the town was also reported, according to Harborough District Council which also said it has called on Leicestershire County Council, which coordinates flooding responses with the districts and Environment Agency, to answer questions on the upkeep of local drainage systems after they were overwhelmed. The county council told LeicestershireLive the drains had been unable to cope in the town because the entire amount of rain expected to fall in Market Harborough in the whole of September had fallen in the space of 96 hours.

The witness said: “The town centre was like a giant paddling pool. People had to wade through it with their trouser legs pulled up. It was right up to the doors of some shops and cafes. I couldn't believe it." Ozzy O’Shea, cabinet member for highways, transport and flooding, said it was believed the drainage system just “couldn’t cope with the intensity of rainfall”.

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He said: “Our highways teams have been extremely busy over the weekend, and worked round the clock to deal with over 200 calls about fallen trees, manhole covers popping off and needing replacing, flooded roads as well as attending road traffic collisions. They’re continuing to work hard to clear debris left by floodwater and assist on the road network where required.

“The drains in Market Harborough are regularly cleaned, and on our highest priority schedule. When manholes and gullies start to surcharge water, it usually indicates the system couldn’t cope with the intensity of rainfall. A total of 66mm of rainfall was reported for Market Harborough in the last 96 hours, equivalent to the usual amount for the month of September.”

Flooding in Market Harborough town centre following storms
Flooding in Market Harborough town centre following storms -Credit:Harborough Resident

The county council told LeicestershireLive there were no “known issues” with the drainage system in Market Harborough and no problems were reported when the drains were last cleaned.

When asked by LeicestershireLive whether anything was going to be put in place to reduce the risk of future flooding, a spokeswoman for Leicestershire County Council said: “We’ll look at areas that experienced significant surface water to check gullies are working to their max capacity and also if there are implications for other flood risk management organisations.”

If you have any pictures or footage of the flooding in Market Harborough or have been impacted by it, please contact us at newsdesk@leicestermercury.co.uk