A government minister has refused to commit to visiting an area of Bolton where residents have been ‘living in fear’ of flooding.
Riverside Drive in Prestolee was hit by devastating floods on Boxing Day seven years ago and ever since the residents have been caught in a terrible situation, with work on flood defences now delayed until 2026.
In response, Yasmin Qureshi MP, who represents the area in Parliament, has repeatedly called on the government for help and has pleaded with Secretary of State for the Environment Therese Coffey to visit Riverside Drive and see for herself.
Ms Qureshi said: “After seven years of waiting, it is high time that the Secretary of State for Environment came to Riverside Drive and saw first-hand the issues my constituents are facing on a daily basis.
“This is not a party political issue but a human one, my residents deserve peace.”
She added: "I have raised this issue many times in Parliment and I have asked successive ministers to come and visit Bolton South East and see for themselves and speak to the residents."
The 2015 floods hit a total of 39 homes on Riverside Day that Boxing Day with 22 seeing a repeat of the devastation when the River Irwell burst its banks the following February.
Work on permanent flood defences in the area had been meant to start last year but has been delayed yet again.
The 2026 date will mean that the works will not be finished until a full 11 years after the floods first hit.
Ms Qureshi raised the issue most recently in the House of Commons an Oral Questions to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs meeting.
Ms Coffee said in response that she was ‘concerned’ about the situation.
But despite Ms Qureshi’s request, the Secretary of State would not agree to come to Prestolee.
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Ms Coffey said: “I’m not committing to visiting her constituency by I’m very aware, I’m concerned by what she has just raised.
“I’ve already asked for the Environment Agency to meet on the flooding budget.
“There is a frequently flooded fund, which can support constituencies like hers and we need to just make sure that we are delivering effective actions.
“Also that goes for councils who need to make sure they have cleared the gullies of levels of surface water flooding that are there as well.”
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