History of Flood Risk & Current Baseline

The Cambridge area of Salford, and some areas off Great Ducie Street / Bury New Road sit alongside the River Irwell, as it skirts the edge of Manchester City Centre. The area is known to have a long history of flood risk – with pictures and stories of flooding dating back to the 1800s. The most recent major flood to impact the area occurred on Boxing Day, 2015. Some 400 homes were flooded in the Lower Broughton area, with damage also caused to the now demolished Mocha Parade and some businesses within and around the Cambridge Industrial Estate.

The Environment Agency publishes flood maps to show the risk of flooding across England. Current flood maps show most of the Cambridge area, and parts of Great Ducie Street / Bury New Road as in flood zones 2 and 3. Flood zone 2 has a probability of flooding of 0.1-1% (medium risk) and flood zone 3 more than 1% (high risk) each year.

Significant investment has been made to manage flood risk in Salford to try and reduce the risks to residents and businesses. In 2005 the Littleton Road flood basin was completed, followed in 2018 by the delivery of the second flood storage reservoir at the former Castle Irwell site. These basins, alongside other flood risk alleviation measures, means that the current flood risk for the area is described as low for flooding from rivers and sea. Flood risk is a particular issue for parts of the Strangeways and Cambridge area near to the River Irwell. Below is further information on the flood risk, the flood risk assessment and the proposed actions

Future Flood Risk

Although existing flood defences provide protection for homes and businesses today, when considering future development as we are in the SRF, National Planning Policy requires the assessment to consider climate change. Evidence suggests that rainfall events are becoming more intense and lasting longer, principally due to climate change. In a city we also need to think about more impermeable surfaces due to urbanisation. As a result, we are experiencing higher peak flows of water in rivers and watercourses.

To estimate what flooding may be like in the future due to the impacts of climate change we add a percentage onto today’s figures. The Environment Agency, following current policy and guidance, has confirmed that for this area 35% should be added to current flood model – this is the ‘climate change allowance’. This allowance takes into account a prediction of peak river flows in the future. Adding 35% climate change allowance means that levels of flood protection provided by the existing flood defences to the Cambridge and Moulton Street areas will reduce over time to the Cambridge and Moulton Street areas. As a result, in the future, residents and businesses may be put at risk, and may also find it increasingly difficult to get insurance or planning permission.

Responding to Flood Risk

In line with the government’s guidance on ‘water compatible’ development we propose that the areas of highest flood risk become – over an extended period of time – new open green space. For now, we are calling this space ‘Copper Park’, and it would be created slowly in a number of stages over the coming decades.

We know that our proposals would mean significant change for this area in the future, and that is why we want to understand and listen to people’s views during this consultation.

Salford City Council, Salix Homes, Manchester City Council, and the Environment Agency will work together to make sure we manage this change in an open and transparent way. This consultation is only the start of that process, and there will be ongoing dialogue with local residents, businesses and stakeholders in the years ahead.

If you think you are affected by the conclusions related to flood risk and climate please share some more information and contact details so we can keep in touch.