Ramsbottom has received more than £100,000 in funding to help reduce the risk of flooding from the River Irwell.

The Environment Agency has granted £103,000 for a flood management scheme in Stubbins, to reduce the flood risk to 120 homes and businesses in the area.

The scheme is already in operation, with work nearly complete to open up the recreation ground in Chatterton as a flood plain at times of higher river water levels.

A number of flood defence walls are also to be built to divert water back into the river, and the level of the road at Robert Street, off Bolton Road North, will be raised.

Cllr Darryl Smith, Edenfield ward councillor, said: “This will alleviate the potential of floods to people in Chatterton, Strongstry and Stubbins, not 100 per cent, but the houses and businesses will have a much better chance of avoiding flooding in the future.”

The most recent flooding incident at the River Irwell took place in the summer of 2012, and Ramsbottom has so far avoided any similar issues during the current spell of bad weather.

Cllr Smith hopes the scenes of the summer of 2012 will not be recreated, with the help of this scheme.

He added: “To the credit of the Environment Agency it has reacted very quickly and has been proactive on this issue. We are really pleased to be receiving this, because there are parts of the country which would be crying out for this at the moment.”

“We have not had any flood incidents recently, nor do we want any, but hopefully in the longer term with this scheme we will reduce the risk.”

The flood management scheme is expected to be completed by May.