A COMMUNITY action event for flood action groups in Greater Manchester will be taking place.

With many areas in the region suffering from the recent floods that have taken place, especially in Radcliffe, there are still many questions that need to be answered.

The networking day is aimed at bringing together as many flood action groups based around The River Irwell catchment area.

Issues about contemporary flood risk management, not least from communities subjected to the consequences of the floods, have been raised in recent months.

Increased urbanisation, ageing utility infrastructures, the threat of climate change, and the need to facilitate economic growth have all been blamed for driving exposure to flooding.

The event will draw together community and flood action groups to discuss flood risk management in their areas and how action can be co-ordinated across the Irwell catchment.

Speakers will include flood group members and key policy makers and first responders with a view to sharing best practice and to discuss community strategies to deal with future flood risk.

Across the region, the unprecedented rainfall brought by Storm Eva in December 2015 caused £11.5 million worth of damage to infrastructure.

More than 800 homes and businesses in Bury were flooded, almost 700 of which were in the Radcliffe, Warth, and Redvales area which suffered its worst flooding for 79 years.

According to a report published after the floods, the River Irwell is only expected to reach the levels it did in some areas on Boxing Day once every 100 to 200 years.

The event will take place at Manchester Metropolitan University on Saturday, August 19 from 10am to 5pm with everyone welcomes.

For more information about the event, people should contact Dr Paul O’Hare at Paul.A.OHare@mmu.ac.uk