Appley Bridge - Appley Bridge, Millbank Flood, Saturday 22 August 1987

Appley Bridge, Millbank Flood, Saturday 22 August 1987

On 22 August 1987 parts of Appley Bridge were affected by severe flooding - worst affected was the Millbank estate, off Mill Lane.

During heavy rain the entrance to the culvert that carries Calico Brook beneath the estate became blocked by debris (leaves, branches etc.) and overtopped into the estate causing extensive flooding to most of the properties. Most residents spent the next few months - up to December '87 - in caravans parked on their front gardens, whilst repairs were carried out. The properties required extensive repair: re-plastering, new woodwork (doors, window frames etc.), with only the higher houses at the entrance to the estate being unaffected.

Here are quotes from a West Lancs District Council (WLDC) Information Item and a press release, dated 11 September 1987:

From press release:

''"When severe flooding occurred in several parts of the district on Saturday 22nd August 1987 - Parbold and parts of Skelmersdale were badly affected, whilst the Millbank estate in Appley Bridge was flooded out, with several houses being filled by water to first floor level and almost all of the remainder having water in their ground floor, varying from about two feet to five or six feet in depth. An amateur meteorologist with a weather station at Hilldale recorded the fall of 3.8 inches (97 mm) of rain during the 48 hours beginning at 8.00am on Saturday, 22nd August: over two thirds of that rainfall - about 2.6 inches - being in a four hour period on Saturday afternoon..."

"...From preliminary information, it would appear that the storm frequency was in the order of 1 in 75 year occurrence and this led to widespread flooding throughout the region..."

from Information Item presented to a meeting of the WLDC Technical Services Committee:

"...The most severe flooding incident was at Millbank Estate, Appley Bridge, where a 60" diameter piped culvert running through the estate could not cope with the sudden flow of surface water in the Calico brook. The brook overflowed the culvert and flooded the estate, which lies in a hollow, to a depth of about 8 feet . at the lower end, approximately 40 houses being involved. The Fire Brigade were called to give assistance and they and the Police helped to evacuate the residents. The North West Water Authority Rivers Division also provided assistance with workmen and pumping equipment to pump the water away. The estate was not cleared of water until about Saturday midnight..."

TEMPORARY SOLUTION - 1988:
Soon after the flood the council undertook simple remedial works to reduce the risk of further flooding. They were considered to be temporary works, with a permanent capital solution to follow. The works that were carried out consisted of the building of a restriction to flow, as part of a bridge across the stream in the local woods (known as "the slacks"), they also cut a "notch" into the quarry side wall. In the event of heavy rain the water in the stream will back-up against the restriction in the bridge and overflow into the nearby quarry through the notch. A wider spaced grill was also placed at the entrance to the culvert allowing small items, such as leaves, to pass through the culvert without blocking it.

PERMANENT SOLUTION? - 2012:
In March 2012, twenty-four years after the flooding, work was finally started to replace the 1988 "temporary" works with a permanent project called the "Calico Brook Flood Risk Management Scheme" - more details can be found at the principal contractor's information website.