Flooding victims 'suffering sleepless nights'

Residents in certain areas of Birmingham are "suffering sleepless nights" amid flooding fears, a councillor has said.

Labour group leader Nicky Brennan made the remarks just days after a storm flooded homes and left roads submerged in the north of the city.

Dozens of homes were hit by flooding at the end of last month with the city council saying water levels reached up to one metre in the worst-affected areas.

West Midlands Fire Service said at the time it had sent multiple crews to Perry Barr and urged residents to avoid the area where possible.

Against this backdrop, Brennan asked at Tuesday's cabinet meeting how the council could prioritise working with vulnerable residents and community groups in the future.

"In the last couple of weeks, we've obviously had very heavy rainfall in the city and some of our areas are prone to flooding," she said.

"I know this from being the councillor in Sparkhill in 2018 where people's properties were completely and utterly flooded out.

"When it rains for those people that live in those areas, they look at the weather forecast and it gives them anxiety.

"They can't sleep some nights because of that worry and their mental health around flooding."

Green Party cabinet member Rob Grant acknowledged it was a "very valid point" and said: "It has become very clear now that we have to plan ahead.

"We do have winter preparation. We need to start thinking about summer and autumn preparation as well because we're seeing the same patterns each year."

He added the highways fund would now allow councillors to have a "broader overview" of how money is spent in their area and what their wards need.

The city council said last month it had made arrangements for follow-up support to vulnerable residents and affected council tenants amid the flooding.

Liberal Democrat deputy cabinet member Izzy Knowles said at the time: "I understand the significant impact Wednesday night's flooding has had on residents in the area around Perry Brook and the council has been working closely with partner agencies to support those affected.

"We are continuing to work with relevant agencies to put preventative measures in place ahead of further rainfall forecast.

"I would like to reassure residents that in many areas, water levels reduced quickly once the rainfall eased."

The council added that it understood that people had questions around the maintenance of drains in the area and if they played a role in the flood.

"The floods occurred because Perry Brook broke its banks as a result of the extreme weather," it said. "Once the banks of Perry Brook broke, the highway drainage network then played its role in dispersing the flood water."

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

Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.