Ashton businesses say they have been left counting the cost of New Year flooding.

Leon Tamcken, club chairman at the Waterloo and Taunton Conservative Club, explained that Taunton Brook stream, which runs through the Waterloo area of Ashton, had burst its banks for the third time in as many weeks, causing damage to businesses alongside, and also flooding Waterloo Park.

The brook that runs towards Daisy Nook Country Park, feeding the River Medlock, has seen one of its culverts blocked, with water levels rising above the banks.

Leon said: “The club’s cellar flooded, causing loss to stock, and power failures, meaning loss of revenue.

“The worst incident was on the afternoon of New Year’s Eve and one of our busiest trading days. Our team had to work flat out with mechanical pumps to try and get us operational for the big night.”

Leon said other businesses including Mason Tyres on Store Street, Ashton Auto Point on Oldham Road, had also been affected, with the latter having to clear two skips worth of ruined items.

Leon added: “Tameside Council had engineering teams on site, however, local businesses, along with Waterloo home owners, are now starting to demand answers and accountability, with the focus on what’s being done to prevent further flooding.”

In response, a spokesperson for the council said: “We’re aware of the issue and have investigated and are monitoring it. There is a blockage within the culvert below Oldham Road but attempts to clear this haven’t been wholly successful and we need to wait for water levels to subside before it can be completely cleared safely.

“This culvert is classed as one of our critical flooding infrastructures and as such has recently had new, more effective grills fitted and better access installed for more efficient cleaning.

“All our critical culverts are always checked and cleared when heavy rain is forecast so we took all the preventative steps we could in a bid to avoid this situation, but unfortunately the rainfall was so heavy and prolonged the culvert still got blocked on this occasion. We’re liaising directly with all the properties directly affected.”

Read more from the Tameside Reporter

Click here for more of the latest news

Click here to read the latest edition of the paper online

Click here to find out where you can pick up a copy of the paper