Husband and wife 'won't go back' to home as they fear 'it will happen again'
A devastated nan is living in constant fear after flooding destroyed her home. Joan Porter, 63 is currently living in temporary accommodation after severe flooding affected dozens of properties in Bootle - including Joan's family home.
Emergency services were called to Bulwer Street on September 30 after water started gushing into people's homes - with many requiring rescue boats to get out safely. It is the second major flooding incident reported on this road in the last 14 years.
More than seven weeks after the flood, residents from Bulwer Street organised an open community meeting on Wednesday night at St Leonard's community centre and invited all affected flood victims and representatives from United Utilities, Sefton Council, One Vision Housing and other partner agencies.
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During the meeting, a representative of United Utilities (UU) presented a report into the cause of the September flooding and cited a fault with one of their automated systems. Responding to a request for clarification, a spokesperson for UU said: "Our complex investigation has shown a software issue prevented the system from operating as expected.
“This has now been fixed and as we undertake a full review of our system, we have put in place additional levels of monitoring and have further plans to ensure the long-term resilience of our system and minimise the risk of flooding.”
Joan Porter, 63 has lived on Bulwer Street for almost 30 years and raised a family there with her husband Tony, 64. The September floods forced Joan out of her home and she is struggling to come to terms with what has happened.
This is largely because it is the second time Joan and her family have been evacuated from the property due to flooding - resulting in a prolonged absence and the burden of rebuilding their home from scratch. It is not something they can go through again.
Joan takes us to visit her house in Bulwer Street which is completely dark after the electricity was turned off for safety reasons. The walls and floors are stripped and there's a deafening sound of dehumidifiers whirring as the full scale of the damage is laid bare.
Joan said: "The impact has been devastating on me and my family and it's the last thing we need at our time of life. I’ve never felt so down.
"My mental health is at an all time low. I am struggling to cope and we do not know how long this is going to go on for. We will not be returning to our home because of the fear of repeat flooding and we couldn't cope with losing our home for a third time. There's so many memories in there, but our family home has now been lost.
"Christmas is normally my favourite time of year as we spend it at my home with the grandkids, daughter and son-in-law but I feel like my grandkids' Christmas is ruined as they are very routine based and struggle with change and this is tipped everything upside down for them. We just want a house to call our home and where we feel safe."
Joan and her husband said they are actively looking for a new place to live and have been advised to bid for properties on Property Pool Plus, but have found nothing suitable. Tony's health has deteriorated in recent years and he requires certain home adaptations to accommodate his needs. They also need to be close to Bulwer Street because it's a community they belong to and also the area where their daughter lives - who they rely on for care and support.
As a result, Joan said no viable options have come up on property pool and worries their lack of priority status means they will miss out on suitable houses when they do become available. It is a predicament felt by many residents from Bulwer Street who have given up on the idea of returning home and the issue has been taken up by Bootle MP Peter Dowd.
Mr Dowd has been involved in supporting local residents since the flooding occurred and has visited people's homes and attended the two organised meetings at St Leonard's community centre - including the one on Tuesday. He said he's been looking into the housing circumstances of the Bulwer Street residents and believes those who do not wish to return should be offered alternative accommodation as a matter of urgency.
Mr Dowd said: "I can see people getting more and more frustrated. People had to move out of their homes through no fault of their own and could be out for the next seven months with massive disruption.
"Some of these people - quite understandably - don't want to move back into those houses. These are exceptional circumstances and the organisations and agencies involved do have the responsibility to potentially apply their discretion in finding solutions for people."
A spokesperson for One Vision Housing said: "Our colleagues have continued to communicate with customers surrounding their prioritised return to Bulwer Street, or any advice and support required to the minority of customers seeking alternative housing.
"One Vision Housing customers will be able to return to their homes on Bulwer Street sooner than anticipated, in mid-February, pending the completion of necessary repairs."