‘It’s been a horrible experience, but we’re so happy to be back home’

Residents in a Stockport apartment building which flooded on New Year’s Day say it was a “huge relief” to get back into their homes after more than three weeks away.

Hundreds of people were evacuated from Meadow Mill on January 1 when the River Tame burst its banks, leaving the car park and ground floor under water. The damage left the building without power or water as residents were forced to book hotels and stay with friends or family members while repairs were carried out.

After efforts to clear the damage and restore power, the building near the M60 and Portwood roundabout was finally declared safe to return to this week. CERT, the company managing the building, told residents in its latest update not to drink the water before test results come back confirming it is safe to drink, but that it can be used for bathing and washing dishes.

Hannah Miles and her partner Bradley Mullen, both aged 19, are tenants at the mill who have now returned home. They say the next few days will be spent unpacking and trying to make their flat feel homely again.

“It's definitely a relief, I'm just so happy to be back home,” Hannah said. “It caused a lot of stress and anxiety for everyone, but we're really happy to be back. The next few days will be spent getting the flat ready and unpacking.

“But people are worried about whether it could happen again. The amount of cars that were here and what's here now is so different, there are lots of really old cars so people are clearly struggling.”

Another Meadow Mill resident, Antonia Elford, said she returned to her home in the building on Wednesday.

She added: “It’s so good to be back, I feel like we’ve been stressed out all the time and now we’re finally here. It’s been a horrible experience