MILLOM residents face a persistent fear of flooding this winter despite a council report being published 16 months ago.

Cllr Doug Wilson, of Haverigg, has complained that little appears to have been done following a county council flood investigation report.

Published in June last year, it set out what caused the major flood across Millom and Haverigg in September 2017, which saw 243 houses and 12 businesses inundated.

At a meeting of the county council, he said the area was again hit with heavy rain on the night of November 1.

Cllr Wilson said: “Since 2017 there has been a number of occasions when flooding has reoccurred although not as serious, and had it not been for local people taking preventative measures, the episodes could have been far worse.

“People are at the end of their tethers and are distraught. Whenever heavy rain is forecast they can’t leave their houses or rest peacefully."

Cllr Wilson, a Conservative councillor, said the ‘adequacy’ of the town’s flood management needed looking at ‘without delay,’ along with the King Street pumping station which is unable to cope with heavy downpours.

But county council leader Stewart Young has said United Utilities, not the county council, are responsible for fixing some of the issues in the town.

Cllr Young said: “The issue in Millom is the water that goes down our highways drains and ends up in United Utilities’ network. The single biggest issue is that the old system for wastewater and sewage goes into the same system, which is a matter for United Utilities.”

“If anyone wants to do any lobbying, they have to make sure United Utilities gets that work moved up their programme. No-one wants a repeat of what happened in 2017,” said Cllr Young.

Keith Little, the cabinet member in charge of highways, would be happy to look into the issues, he added.

Cllr Young said that while CCC was legally obliged to draw up the flood report after a major flood, that did not mean it was responsible for fixing every problem.