Burscough’s Martin Mere hopes to reopen after major flood

Oct 4 2012 by Tom Duffy, Ormskirk Advertiser

MARTIN Mere Wetland Centre closed a section of its park due to flooding.

The centre’s waterfowl gardens were closed last Thursday, although the nature trail and coffee shop remained open.

The WWT park, located in West Lancashire, admitted around 100 visitors free of charge due to the reduced facilities on offer.

The park returned to normal last Friday. Andy Wooldridge, who is the park’s centre manager, told the Advertiser: “It is the worst flood in the last 40 years. I live on the site and at one point the water was nearing my front door.

“Fortunately, the water table has started to come down and we are back to normal. Some of our ditches remain flooded.

“A flood during the summer months would have affected our nesting birds, so we were fortunate.”

Mr Wooldridge said the flood was caused by a burst drainage channel at a nearby farm in Burscough.

The burst also flooded several farms in the area.

Steve Moore, regional director for the North West Environment Agency, said: “We will continue to do everything we can to support flooded communities. I would also urge people to remember not to walk or drive through floodwater.”

The Met Office said the most intense September storm since 1981 was the result of the unusual position of the jet stream: a high- altitude band of wind which steers weather systems.

It caused heavy rain and floods in the summer when it shifted farther south than normal.