Several rain alerts and flood warnings have been issued across the UK this week as Storm Christoph approaches.
The Met Office has issued an amber warning for heavy rain and flooding in parts of Yorkshire and the Humber, the North West – including Greater Manchester – East Midlands, and the east of England, with other areas including Leeds, Sheffield, Wakefield, Lincoln, Nottingham, Leicester and Peterborough also set to experience torrential down pours.
According to the Met Office – which continuously updates its weather warnings online – “heavy rainfall combined with some snowmelt across the hills is likely to lead to flooding.”
The amber alert continues continues: “Rain developing during Monday persists into Wednesday and Thursday… [and] rain will be heaviest and most persistent across western facing hills”, also adding that: “Strong winds will accompany the rain at times and may add to travelling difficulties across higher and more exposed routes.”
Up to 70mm of rain is forecast to fall within 48 hours in some of the worst-hit areas.
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The Environment Agency has issued 11 severe flood warnings in place, as well as 67 flood alerts.
The Met Office defines the amber weather warning as:
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Homes and businesses are likely to be flooded, causing damage to some buildings.
Fast flowing or deep floodwater is likely, causing danger to life.
Delays and some cancellations to train and bus services are likely.
Spray and flooding probably leading to difficult driving conditions and some road closures.
A good chance some communities cut off by flooded roads.
Power cuts and loss of other services to some homes and businesses likely.
Speaking ahead of the arrival of Storm Christoph this week, Dan Suri – Chief Meteorologist at the Met Office – said: “Following a cold spell where the main hazard was snow, our focus now turns to notably heavy rain moving across the UK this week.
“Some locations could see over 100mm of rain falling through the course just a couple of days with up to 200mm possible over higher ground.
“These amounts of rainfall along with snow melt present a real threat of flooding and people should keep a close eye on flood warnings from the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales.”
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There are a number of flood warnings in place across England, with heavy rainfall expected in the next few days.
By knowing what to do in a #flood, you can reduce the impacts to your home, family and possessions.
The amber alert for Greater Manchester is currently in place for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday this week, starting from 6am today (19th January) until 12pm on Thursday (21st January).
Separate yellow warnings also cover Northern Ireland, Wales, southern Scotland and the rest of England.
You can find further details regarding the flood warnings issued across the region on the gov.uk website, and more information can also be found via the Met Office.
News
New images released of Piccadilly Gardens as transformation plans take a big step forward
Daisy Jackson
Plans to transform Piccadilly Gardens to make them more ‘colourful, vibrant and safe’ have taken a big step forward today, with new images released.
Manchester City Council has shared the vision to the public ahead of a planning application being submitted this summer.
The plans to finally give Piccadilly Gardens some love were revealed last autumn, but things are now moving at pace with a delivery team appointed to design and build the new public space.
The new images show the vision for more green space, including lawns, trees, planting, seating, and colourful horticultural displays.
The temperamental fountains will also be removed for good, replaced with a new space called The Pavilion which will host family-friendly events.
The low concrete walls and raised planters at the edge of the gardens will be ripped out, improving the setting of the Queen Victoria statue.
There’ll be a new, larger playground for younger children, created in the same high quality style as the new parks at Mayfield Park and Ancoats Green.
A pre-planning consultation has started today and will run until Wednesday 15 July, with plans to submit the final planning application later this summer.
The new-look play area at Piccadilly GardensPlans for the new Piccadilly Gardens from above
The council has said that these new designs reflect feedback from the public and opinions on what we want to see at the new Piccadilly Gardens.
Council Leader Cllr Bev Craig said: “We’re getting on with sorting out Piccadilly Gardens. We all want to see a space which Mancunians can be proud of – a welcoming and attractive environment which people want to spend time in.
“So as well other initiatives which are delivering more police and more CCTV, we’re bringing forward this scheme to transform the public space. That means investment in more flowers, more greenery, a new welcome pavilion, a new and bigger playground and an altogether more inviting Piccadilly Gardens. A bright new chapter is just around the corner.”
Further planned improvements to the area around Piccadilly Gardens in the coming years will include a multi-million pound investment by Transport for Greater Manchester to create a new, modern transport interchange.
Council calls on Manchester public to help bring hundreds of empty homes back into use
Emily Sergeant
Residents across Manchester are being called on to help bring hundreds of empty homes across the region back into use.
Since the beginning of this year, a major review has been underway around the city’s draft strategy for bringing empty homes back into use to help meet demand for affordable homes across the city, while also improving communities by tackling empty homes that can blight an area… but now, Manchester City Council needs your help.
Following a major public consultation, the Council is now acting on feedback to accelerate plans to bring as many long-term empty homes back into active use as possible.
Although the number of long-term empty homes in Manchester is near a historic low, with the Council having managed to reduce the number by more than half since 2013, there is still more work to be done.
“Every void property is a missed opportunity to provide a family a place to live, reduce homelessness, and lessen the burden on temporary accommodation,” the Council said in a statement.
The Council is calling on the Manchester public to help bring hundreds of empty homes back into use / Credit: Benjamin Elliott (via Unsplash)
So, how can residents help then? What do you need to do if you spot an empty home on a street nearby?
Well, the easiest way to report an empty home is to report the issue online here, or by emailing [email protected]. And then once that’s done, a team of dedicated empty homes officers will take up the case to find out who owns the property and work with the owner on a plan to bring the home back into use.
The vast number of empty homes are privately owned with complex histories, and there are some cases where an owner may have passed away.
While working collaboratively with housing providers, voluntary organisations and public services are also a key element of detecting potentially empty or ‘problematic’ homes to repurpose them.
Officers can also support, where required, if a communication or language poses a barrier to resolving an empty home issue.
Tailored approaches to different communities – where empty homes impact neighbourhoods in different ways – are also being considered, according to the Council.
“To think, if we could bring all empty homes back into use, then we could provide more homes for those on the housing register and take pressure off the whole housing system,” explained Cllr Gavin White, who is Manchester City Council’s executive member for housing and development.
“The potential of making empty homes a thing of the past is huge for Manchester families looking for a place to call home – and a significant part of tackling the housing crisis.”
The Manc -
19th January 2021 
