Darwen buildings evacuated after floods damage foundations

The safety of buildings in Railway Road is being assessed The safety of buildings in Railway Road is being assessed

BUSINESSES have been evacuated in Darwen amid fears that buildings may collapse due to the heavy flooding.

A barber shop and solicitors on Railway Road are amongst those who have been told to leave their premises after a culvert collapsed at the back of the row of terraces.

Police, fire and ambulance are on standby at the scene with council officers to assess the risk.

They have warned that another heavy downpour would create serious problems.

Jamil Ahmed, owner of JD Barber Shop, on Railway Road – which backs on to Knott Street - was told by police at 11am to evacuate his shop.

He said: “The police told me to shut the doors and that I was in danger.

“I don’t know how long I will be shut for. It’s terrifying.”

There was a customer having his haircut at the time.

Elton Ashworth, partner at Watson Ramsbottom Solicitors said: “The police told us that it was unsafe and there was a chance it might collapse.”

Councillor Eileen Entwistle, who is also Mayor of Darwen, said: “It is a big concern for the businesses and residents around here.”

Comments(26)

A Darener says...
3:26pm Fri 6 Jul 12

I hope the council inspect every manhole every gully every drain over the coming weeks and get the Sludge gulper out of storage and remove the silt that is blocking them. A666, roads off prime example of blocked drains. See them every day when out walking. If I can find them surely the council can.

Your ferret stinks says...
3:45pm Fri 6 Jul 12

“I don’t know how long I will be shut for. It’s terrifying.”

There was a customer having his haircut at the time.

LMAO.

walkaround says...
4:07pm Fri 6 Jul 12

Your ferret stinks wrote:
“I don’t know how long I will be shut for. It’s terrifying.”

There was a customer having his haircut at the time.

LMAO.
Whats so funny about a person worrying about if their business/livelihood is gonna be destroyed?Get a grip you brain dead moron.

english rose 1 says...
4:24pm Fri 6 Jul 12

A Darener wrote:
I hope the council inspect every manhole every gully every drain over the coming weeks and get the Sludge gulper out of storage and remove the silt that is blocking them. A666, roads off prime example of blocked drains. See them every day when out walking. If I can find them surely the council can.
Collapsing culverts are the responsibility of UU or the Environment Agency, not the Council.

Guzford says...
4:41pm Fri 6 Jul 12

english rose 1 wrote:
A Darener wrote:
I hope the council inspect every manhole every gully every drain over the coming weeks and get the Sludge gulper out of storage and remove the silt that is blocking them. A666, roads off prime example of blocked drains. See them every day when out walking. If I can find them surely the council can.
Collapsing culverts are the responsibility of UU or the Environment Agency, not the Council.
UU have nothing to do with culverts and rivers

Guzford says...
5:00pm Fri 6 Jul 12

Guzford wrote:
english rose 1 wrote:
A Darener wrote:
I hope the council inspect every manhole every gully every drain over the coming weeks and get the Sludge gulper out of storage and remove the silt that is blocking them. A666, roads off prime example of blocked drains. See them every day when out walking. If I can find them surely the council can.
Collapsing culverts are the responsibility of UU or the Environment Agency, not the Council.
UU have nothing to do with culverts and rivers
culverts are the responsibility of the land owner, in this case I think it will be the council......

Guzford says...
5:02pm Fri 6 Jul 12

The EA are resposible for the river, they didn't build the culvert, the landowners did so they could build on or use the land, therefore they are responsible for it, and any damnage it causes I think.

Wolf on a bridge says...
5:23pm Fri 6 Jul 12

I wrote a little ditty regarding Jacks Key Reservoir a while ago and if they maintained the sluice type gate as i suggested they could close it off and allow it to fill up this would refuse the flow of the river Darwen running through the town. I accept it would not solve the problem completely but sure it would help in times like these and when it's stopped raining reopen and allow it to empty.

sen c ble says...
5:37pm Fri 6 Jul 12

Guzford wrote:
The EA are resposible for the river, they didn't build the culvert, the landowners did so they could build on or use the land, therefore they are responsible for it, and any damnage it causes I think.
You're correct. Culverts within the boundary belonging to the building, is the responsibility of the owner. Council's on the other hand maintain backalley culverts and below similar places around the town.

A Darener says...
6:35pm Fri 6 Jul 12

I was not being specific to this incident. I was giving a general overview of the overall situation throughout the borough. With special interest in my local area around the A666. Where over the last couple of weeks severe flooding has taken place. In response to an email to the council re a sludge gulper they sent a road sweeper and a lot of use that was.

whirlingdervish says...
7:16pm Fri 6 Jul 12

solicitors in darwen,i thought they were all in jail...

english rose 1 says...
8:12pm Fri 6 Jul 12

sen c ble wrote:
Guzford wrote:
The EA are resposible for the river, they didn't build the culvert, the landowners did so they could build on or use the land, therefore they are responsible for it, and any damnage it causes I think.
You're correct. Culverts within the boundary belonging to the building, is the responsibility of the owner. Council's on the other hand maintain backalley culverts and below similar places around the town.
United Utilities are taking full responsibility for the collapsed culvert on Railway Rd (opp Response private hire). Yet the road is Council owned...............

2 for 5p says...
8:28pm Fri 6 Jul 12

I bet you are all really glad you took out building and contents cover arnt you.

Hey what's that I hear in the background it sound like someone laughing. :-)

sen c ble says...
8:57pm Fri 6 Jul 12

english rose 1 wrote:
sen c ble wrote:
Guzford wrote:
The EA are resposible for the river, they didn't build the culvert, the landowners did so they could build on or use the land, therefore they are responsible for it, and any damnage it causes I think.
You're correct. Culverts within the boundary belonging to the building, is the responsibility of the owner. Council's on the other hand maintain backalley culverts and below similar places around the town.
United Utilities are taking full responsibility for the collapsed culvert on Railway Rd (opp Response private hire). Yet the road is Council owned...............
Collapsed drains leading to culverts, and sewers, is the responsibility of the UU. Blackburn town centre built on victorian culverts, maintained by BwDBC, just as Warickshires.
Unless the law has changed I'm not aware of, council's responsibility.

2 for 5p says...
9:28pm Fri 6 Jul 12

Your ferret stinks wrote:
“I don’t know how long I will be shut for. It’s terrifying.”

There was a customer having his haircut at the time.

LMAO.
good one that's a thumbs up from me. :-)

darwenTower says...
10:06pm Fri 6 Jul 12

2 for 5p wrote:
I bet you are all really glad you took out building and contents cover arnt you.

Hey what's that I hear in the background it sound like someone laughing. :-)
And again.

I asked you what your angle was previously.

Are you suggesting that people don't have insurance?

Or that they do and they will operate fraudulently?

2 for 5p says...
10:15pm Fri 6 Jul 12

darwenTower wrote:
2 for 5p wrote:
I bet you are all really glad you took out building and contents cover arnt you.

Hey what's that I hear in the background it sound like someone laughing. :-)
And again.

I asked you what your angle was previously.

Are you suggesting that people don't have insurance?

Or that they do and they will operate fraudulently?
I'm suggesting two things
1. That they don't have any insurance

2. They will be sitting there reading wishing they had. :-)

accy road lad says...
11:27pm Fri 6 Jul 12

2 for 5p wrote:
darwenTower wrote:
2 for 5p wrote:
I bet you are all really glad you took out building and contents cover arnt you.

Hey what's that I hear in the background it sound like someone laughing. :-)
And again.

I asked you what your angle was previously.

Are you suggesting that people don't have insurance?

Or that they do and they will operate fraudulently?
I'm suggesting two things
1. That they don't have any insurance

2. They will be sitting there reading wishing they had. :-)
2 for 5p wrote:
darwenTower wrote:
2 for 5p wrote: I bet you are all really glad you took out building and contents cover arnt you. Hey what's that I hear in the background it sound like someone laughing. :-)
And again. I asked you what your angle was previously. Are you suggesting that people don't have insurance? Or that they do and they will operate fraudulently?
I'm suggesting two things 1. That they don't have any insurance 2. They will be sitting there reading wishing they had. :-)

A666 says...
11:33pm Fri 6 Jul 12

You wait - rising insurance premiums for BB3 policy holders! Are you living on a flood plain?

RUinsane says...
11:33pm Fri 6 Jul 12

Wolf on a bridge wrote:
I wrote a little ditty regarding Jacks Key Reservoir a while ago and if they maintained the sluice type gate as i suggested they could close it off and allow it to fill up this would refuse the flow of the river Darwen running through the town. I accept it would not solve the problem completely but sure it would help in times like these and when it's stopped raining reopen and allow it to empty.
I used to have to set that sluice for the correct run off. Great job in summer, not so good in winter. But I think as Jacks key lodge is very shallow, it wouldn't have been able to cope with that amount of water anyway

2 for 5p says...
12:06am Sat 7 Jul 12

I live on a hill :-)

guinless says...
5:23am Sat 7 Jul 12

2 for 5p wrote:
I bet you are all really glad you took out building and contents cover arnt you.

Hey what's that I hear in the background it sound like someone laughing. :-)
sounds like an echo to me!

Bob Bobbins says...
8:02am Sat 7 Jul 12

Do they not teach English in schools any more - "who have been told to leave there premises" ?
Is that the premises over there or over there?

As a journalist, your English should be spot on. Stop relying on spellcheckers as they're not infallible.

Your ferret stinks says...
3:27pm Sat 7 Jul 12

walkaround wrote:
Your ferret stinks wrote:
“I don’t know how long I will be shut for. It’s terrifying.”

There was a customer having his haircut at the time.

LMAO.
Whats so funny about a person worrying about if their business/livelihood is gonna be destroyed?Get a grip you brain dead moron.
The funny thing is you moron is the reporting as what else would somone be doing in a barbers shop other than getting their haircut! unless you know otherwise?
Do as you name says and keep going until you disappear up your own backside.

Your ferret stinks says...
3:43pm Sat 7 Jul 12

Also saw the report on granada reports the other night were it showed a sign in the barbers shop window that read 'closed due to desaster' hope he is better at cutting hair. lol

missblackburn says...
11:35pm Sun 8 Jul 12

The council rely on us to report most faults,thats why the roads are such a mess.
I'm an avid walker and i've seen how badly Blackburn and Darwen have been affected by the barrage of heavy rain...Design is pathetic,Repair is few and far between,any repair work done is a botch job and the situation of some drains in place are just there for ornamental reasons by the looks of things..You may need to change your road designers council,"Get back to the drawing board".

click2find

About cookies

We want you to enjoy your visit to our website. That's why we use cookies to enhance your experience. By staying on our website you agree to our use of cookies. Find out more about the cookies we use.

I agree