Sum of £300,000 allocated to tackle flooding

Council bosses have said an extra £300,000 of funding would help their city prepare for major flooding events.

Stoke-on-Trent could expect a repeat of the intense rainfall seen last autumn as a result of climate change, according to officials at the city council.

They said workers attended 52 flooding incidents across the city over an eight-hour period on 31 October, adding that 19 of them were due to leaves blocking drains.

The authority is investing the extra money into gully cleaning – doubling the number of gully tankers – and has also recruited a dedicated flood officer.

Members of the Housing, Regeneration and Operations Scrutiny Committee were given a briefing on the council's response to the floods, and the steps being taken to tackle the issue in future.

Councillor Finlay Gordon-McCusker, cabinet member for transport, infrastructure and regeneration, said the council budget for 2026/27 had included increased spending for the issue.

"It was a very bad night, it caused a lot of fear and worry," he said of the events some months ago.

"We know that the situation we face is incredibly difficult, with around 44,000 gullies across the city to be maintained, and only two crews.

"I was relieved that less than 10 per cent of the reported flooding incidents were the result of blocked gullies, but it is still a matter of concern to us and the residents."

Councillor Chris Robinson, cabinet member for housing, added: "I think we need to understand that on that night we had biblical rainfall."

He added he did not know whether there would be a repeat of such weather conditions, but that the measures the council had brought forward would help.

Carol Gibbs, corporate director for Housing, Regeneration and Operations, told the committee that the council was aiming to improve its flood resilience.

The authority would be able to clear out gullies at least once every two years, depending on the flood risk, she said.

While admitting this was still not enough, she said it was "far better" than what had been done previously.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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