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Residents finally return home after flood exodus

Ewan Gawne
BBC News, Manchester
BBC Meadow Mill resident David Howarth, who is bald and wearing a fur-lined parka coat, stands next to an out-of-action lift in the basement of the apartment complex. BBC
David Howarth has spent almost three weeks living away from home

Residents evacuated from an apartment block that flooded when a river burst its banks on New Year's Day have finally been able to return home three weeks later.

Meadow Mill, a former cotton mill in Stockport, Greater Manchester, was left swamped in water during the deluge, which inundated the ground floor and knocked utilities out of action.

CERT, the block's management company, said residents can now return as power has been restored, though the mains water currently remains unfit for drinking.

David Howarth, one of the occupants forced to leave, said it was a "devastating day" when they had to leave and residents had no idea how long they would be gone.

Meadow Mill in Stockport seen from the street, with mud covering the car park, where there are few snow-covered cars.
Utilities were damaged at the former cotton mill in the floods

CERT, which manages the 200 apartments on behalf of the owner, said there had been "significant" damage in the flood, which required a clean-up operation that took about 20 days.

The firm has told residents not to drink mains water while it waits for test results from samples to return from a lab, and has advised them to drink bottled water for now.

Orange plastic barriers create a passageway along the ground floor of the Meadow Mill apartment block. The barriers can be seen placed a long a stone-paved floor, with parts of the walls stripped back.
Repairs to lifts and communal areas are still underway at Meadow Mill

Residents have previously complained of being kept in the dark about the work, while others said they had struggled to get answers about insurance payments when they were forced to find alternative accommodation elsewhere.

Mr Howarth told BBC Radio Manchester there had been "a lot of expense and devastation for people".

"We appreciate that this has been a distressing time for residents and thank you for your patience and cooperation since 1st January," CERT said.

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