Fresh concerns for flooding in Macclesfield have been flagged, amid the backdrop of COP26.

As the world's delegates and political leaders discuss our planet's changing climate, a tweet by Cheshire East Highways has raised concerns for flooding in our town.

A GOV.UK document tweeted by Cheshire East Highways reveals that Macclesfield has been quietly re-classed as a 'Local Flood Risk Area'

While Macclesfield is 558ft above sea level, our canals and the River Bollin could be susceptible to bursting their banks.

Macclesfield: Are you concerned for floods in our town?

Many houses are on floodplains, including the hundreds of homes being developed on Chelford Road near Broken Cross and Henbury.

A map posted on social media also shows at risk areas in blue, which includes possible flooding directly next to Macclesfield station, running directly through our town.

Streets such as Brocklehurst Avenue and Cambridge Road, or the A53 road, are some of the streets coloured in blue, with potential flood risk.

The government document contained on Friday's tweet link, reveals that our town has had the most flooding incidents in Cheshire East.

Professor Petteri Taalas, Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organisation recently said climate change will lead to an increased frequency of flooding. Please note, this UK flood picture is not of Macclesfield, and is purely for illustrative pu

From 2011 the present day, there have been 47 flood incidents in our town.

This is 13 more floods than Crewe, the next most at-risk town had.

Poynton came fourth with 36 flood incidents, Congleton had 12, meanwhile Bollington had just 11 floods.

Macclesfield Forest's Wildboarclough had just two incidents. Each of the 24 areas identified in the document have had at least one flooding incident in the past decade.

Frank Jordan aims to help protect Macclesfield from flooding.

Despite the high numbers, none of the Macclesfield floods were deemed significant enough to require an investigation under Section 191 of the Flood and Water Management Act.

The report which has upgraded Macclesfield's classification states "This assessment identified a further seven 1km significant risk areas ("blue squares") due to more than 200 people being at risk from flooding.

"Three of these areas are located in Macclesfield and would fall within the Macclesfield FRA or immediately adjacent to it."

This means Cheshire East believes there are at least 600 people in Macclesfield who are living in homes with a 'significant risk of flooding'.

Macclesfield areas in blue are most at risk. How does your home fare?

The document also paints a doomsday scenario of a 1 in 1000 year flood (0.1% odds) coming to Macclesfield.

In this worst projected flood, the report estimated 82 Macclesfield 'non-residential properties' AKA businesses or public buildings could be at risk.

They also estimated that 1802 people would be at risk from a biblical flood.

In a lighter project for a 1 in 100 years flood (1% odds) guesstimates 494 residents would be at risk.

It also foresees ten non-residential properties with potential damage for a once-in-century flood.

While no specific reasons were stated, Macclesfield's high concentration of old Victorian-era listed buildings could be why our town is the most at risk in our borough.

On the first day of COP26 in Glasgow global sea levels were revealed to be at to a new high this year, according to a new study.

Professor Petteri Taalas of the World Meteorological Organisation also said he expected extreme weather events like flooding to be more common.

"Extreme events are the new norm," said Taalas.

"There is mounting scientific evidence that some of these bear the footprint of human-induced climate change."

Prof Taalas detailed some of the extreme events that have been experienced around the world this year, including the deadly floods in Germany.

To help protect Macclesfield, Cheshire East have residents and business-owners in how we can protect our town.

They launched a public consultation in August, which closed a month later. The findings of this appeal have yet to be revealed.

Despite this, Cheshire East remains firm that their operations will be carbon neutral by 2025.

Frank Jordan, Cheshire East Council executive director Place, said: "The council wants to do everything it can to make sure it has the right tools to manage climate change and get the best outcomes for our residents.

"Alongside our environment strategy to become carbon neutral, and the environmental planning policies set out in our Local Plan, this guidance will help the council secure better development.

"It also provides clear guidance about policy expectations that should help developers come up with better designs in their planning applications, as well as support the council in determining them."

While Cheshire East have shut their public consultation, the Environment Agency have opened a new one for Macclesfield.

You can fill it in here.

"The council are currently drawing a six year Flood Risk Management plan to have measures in flood risk areas identified for surface water flooding and main river or sea flooding," a Cheshire East Council webpage said.

"The Environment Agency are working closely with lead local flood authority (LLFA) colleagues and with risk management authorities (RMAs) to produce them,"

"The Environment Agency consultation on the government's FRMP2 document includes a number of measures for the Macclesfield area.

"This consultation will run between October 2021 to January 2022 on their online Environment Agency consultation hub.

"Draft second cycle flood risk management plans (FRMPs) for England to cover the period from 2021 – 2027 are currently being developed, And Macclesfield has just been added as a high risk area."

"You can give your views on draft plans to manage local flood risk, including Macclesfield which has been identified as a Local Flood Risk Area.

"Your views will help with the plans that will set out actions to manage flood risk between the planned six year period."

The Environment Agency added: "Flood risk management plans will help to contribute to creating a better place for people and wildlife.

"There are over 5.2 million homes and businesses in England at risk of flooding and coastal erosion."

You respond to the consultation here.

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[I]Please click here to view the licence for the third photo used in this article