LEISURE officers are looking at diverting a stream running alongside a sports centre to prevent a repetition of devastating floods.

Much of Biddulph Leisure Centre was closed for a number of weeks last October after extensive flooding at the complex.

The floods were caused by water from a stream which runs alongside the centre, and which can become blocked by debris where it is culverted.

Moorlands officers are due to carry out a survey into the best way of diverting the stream away from the centre to solve the flooding problem.

The centre lost three days income last week when it was forced to close its sports hall after receiving a warning from the Met Office of possible flooding in the Biddulph area.

Moorlands press officer Charles Malkin said the council's insurers required sandbags to be placed outside the sports hall fire exits following such a warning.

That stipulation had been introduced following the floods in October, he said, which meant sandbagging the doors would contravene fire regulations if the hall was opened to the public.

The council therefore had no choice but to close the hall, he said, adding that the culvert was being cleaned regularly to stop debris building up.

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