Fury as Government ignores Cheadle flooding victims

As the Member of Parliament for Cheadle, I am outraged by the Government's blatant disregard for the devastation our community has endured due to the recent flooding. On New Year's Day, thousands of local residents were affected by exceptionally high rainfall, with over 400 residents forced to evacuate Meadow Mill in Stockport after torrential rain submerged the ground floor and car park, rendering many homes uninhabitable for months.

However, the impact was not limited to Stockport town centre. Across the Cheadle constituency, flooding caused chaos, leaving homes and businesses under water. The A555 was once again impassable, Bramhall Green Roundabout was submerged, and residents on the Boundary Estate and Lakes Estate faced yet another devastating flood. This is not the first time our community has suffered from flooding, and it won’t be the last unless serious investment is made in flood defences.

In response to this crisis, I submitted a written question to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, inquiring why the Flood Recovery Framework was not activated following the January 1st floods in Stockport. The reply I received was both dismissive and infuriating:

"Government recovery support in the aftermath of flooding is only provided in exceptional circumstances. The scale of impacts in early January were not significant enough for the Flood Recovery Framework to be activated in any area."

This response is an affront to every resident and business owner who has suffered immense loss and disruption. The Government's arbitrary threshold for "exceptional circumstances" callously ignores the very real and personal tragedies unfolding in our community.

Stockport Council has also implored the Government to release emergency funding to aid those displaced by the floods. Councillor Jilly Julian highlighted the extensive damage, stating:

"A significant amount of damage was caused by the flooding—businesses have closed and hundreds of residents have had to leave their homes, some of which won’t be habitable again for months."

Despite these pleas, the Government remains unresponsive, leaving our local authorities to shoulder the burden without the necessary resources.

I do, however, welcome the news that the Government is investing £2.4 billion in flood defences after a decade of under-investment from the Conservatives. But this funding must be targeted where it is needed most. I am calling for significant investment in flood prevention measures across Cheadle to ensure that the devastation we saw in 2016, 2019, and now in 2025 does not happen again.

The indifference displayed by the Government is utterly unacceptable. I demand immediate action to activate the Flood Recovery Framework and provide the essential support our community desperately needs. The residents of Cheadle and the wider Stockport area deserve nothing less than the full backing of their Government in this time of crisis.