Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council

Stockport Council has announced one-off collections of green bins after suspending the service last month due to the impact of coronavirus.

LDRSCopyright: LDRS

The collection of garden waste was put on hold indefinitely in late March because of the number of staff having to self-isolate and people were told to transfer food waste into their black non-recyclable bins and compost any grass or garden cuttings if possible.

While residents were understanding of the unprecedented circumstances, there were calls for one last collection and some took to social media to point out they had not had their green bins emptied for nearly two weeks when the temporary pause was announced.

The council has now confirmed it will carry out one last green bin collection to ensure they are empty of any food waste been placed in them before the rounds were stopped.

Those whose normal green bin collection day is Monday or Tuesday should already have had theirs collected, but there will be a Wednesday collection on 22 April, a Thursday one on 23 April and a Friday one on 1 May.

A spokesman said residents whose bins are not collected on the scheduled date should leave them out as they will be collected the following day or later on in the week, adding that bins must be out and ready for collection by 07:00.

Firefighters are continuing to assist with the flooding relief efforts by helping to deliver sandbags.

Norbury Hall Primary School will not available to use as a polling station for the Hazel Grove by-election today.

A mobile polling station at the Fiveways Pub car park on Macclesfield Road will be in place instead.

There will be plenty of signs to direct voters, who can attend any time between 7:00 and 22:00 a council spokesman said.

This is the second time Jackie Carter's home has been flooded in Brammall - despite putting measures in place including reinforced doors to protect her home.

Wilmslow Fire StationCopyright: Wilmslow Fire Station

This morning she returned to find her house covered in "mud and filth".

Ms Carter told BBC Radio Manchester that last time she was unable to return to her home for 11 months.

"I don't think we will be back in before Christmas," she said.

"I felt an overwhelming sense of sadness. Yesterday I was angry because we had high water on Sunday and we had flood alerts.

"I was angry no-one had taken it seriously after the high high levels on Sunday.

"Today I feel an overwhelming sense of dismay and here we go again."

In a statement, a Stockport Council spokesman said "the priority continues to be the safety of residents".

A recovery plan is in place to try to help those affected in the days and weeks ahead, the spokesman added.

Caroline Simpson from Stockport Council said: "Our main priority has been to keep residents affected by the recent floods safe and have provided information on what to do if homes or businesses have been affected by flood water.

"Council officers and partner agencies have visited areas right across the borough where flooding has occurred - predominantly Hazel Grove, Bramhall and Cheadle - and have spoken to residents and businesses affected by the flooding and to see what we can do to help.

"A recovery plan to clean up and help those who were affected by the flooding has now begun and this will be our main priority for the coming days.

"Our team have worked through the night to get our roads clear and support areas affected and we will continue our efforts over the coming days and weeks ahead."

"Any residents affected by flooding should phone our contact centre directly on 0161 217 6111 or our emergency control centre on 0161 474 5555.

"Please report sewage flooding to United Utilities direct on 0345 672 3723."

Stockport Council has said work is continuing to clear a new £290m dual carriageway which has flooded for the second time in a week.

The A555 Manchester Airport Relief Road in Stockport was closed in both directions on Wednesday after heavy rain left the road submerged.

A section of the road between the Oil Terminal roundabout and the A6 opened earlier but the stretch heading down Woodford Road to the A34 is still closed in both directions, said a spokesman.

Extra pumps have been brought in as efforts to open the road continue.

More than 50,000 affordable homes will be built in Greater Manchester by 2038 under new plans to tackle the region's "housing crisis".

Alistair ChapmanCopyright: Alistair Chapman

The revised plans come after huge protests over a previous proposal for 225,000 new properties.

Mayor Andy Burnham said 30,000 of the 50,000 new homes would be social housing.

He also announced a number of transport plans, including the expansion of the Metrolink tram system.