Mothers and fathers in a Greater Manchester town have been forced to wade through ankle-deep muddy water while carrying their children on the school run, blaming four towering warehouses for the unprecedented flooding.
Footage captured parents struggling along waterlogged paths near the controversial Astley business park in Tyldesley.
One mother filmed pushing a pram while simultaneously carrying her child under her arm.
Another parent was seen high-stepping through the murky floodwater with their son on their back as they made their way to Garrett Hall Primary School.
Residents have pointed the finger at four 60ft tall warehouse structures, which neighbours have previously likened to "cruise liners" looming over their properties.
Wigan Council has now informed residents that the warehouse developers have committed to constructing a drainage channel running the full length of the affected pathway and along garden boundaries.
In correspondence with the Astley Warehouse Action Group, which was subsequently shared on Instagram, the local authority stated the work would be carried out "without delay, as soon as weather permits this week."
Council officers confirmed they would monitor the effectiveness of the drainage solution during periods of heavy rainfall.
Parents have been filmed struggling to wade through the flooded area
|INSTAGRAM/ASTLEYWAREHOUSEAUCTION
"We are hopeful that the solution will address the issue, but if it does not then the council has made clear that a fuller investigation will be needed," the email stated.
Ian Southwell, 60, fears the rising water will soon reach his £550,000 five-bedroom detached home, which sits in the shadow of one of the massive structures.
"The flooding started about four weeks ago. Now, it's the worst it has ever been," he said.
"I have to wear wellies to go in the garden. I'd say the water is about 1.5ft deep.
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“I'm worried to death about it reaching the house, I can't sleep at night."
The resident, who lives with his wife Maxine and two daughters, said the lower portion of his garden has become completely unusable, with plants destroyed and outdoor lights now submerged underwater.
Dave Gerrard, 46, who has resided on the estate since 2019, said flooding has rendered the bottom section of his garden completely unusable.
"There's a gate that I used to take the dog out onto the field - and it's completely underwater now," he said.
"The water comes right over onto my patio area. In a couple of years, my whole fence will have rotted away."
The builder of three decades accused the council of dismissing residents' warnings about inadequate drainage at the 350,000 sq ft industrial site, which has already secured delivery company Whistl as a long-term tenant.
"We told them that the flooding was going to happen - it's not come as a surprise," he added.
Local residents claim the 350,000 sq ft development was approved without adequate surface water management plans.
The flooding is causing serious problems for parents collecting children from a nearby primary school
|INSTAGRAM/ASTLEYWAREHOUSEAUCTION
The Astley Warehouse Action Group alleging that revised planning drawings and water-management changes were never properly consulted on.
A petition bearing 10,000 signatures demanding construction be halted was rejected by Wigan Council last week, with the authority stating no breach of planning control had occurred.
Councillor James Fish resigned from the council's planning committee after being the sole member to vote against the original warehouse proposals, later claiming colleagues had privately admitted they "didn't release how tall" the buildings would be.
The warehouses are owned by Peel Land and Property, who have so far declined to comment.