A couple whose home had been destroyed by floods twice in the past 15 months is now planning to remove it and move it 100 yards up to their garden to protect their home.
Steve Blackie and Karen Morley are taking the drastic action because they can’t face the worry and upheaval of being forced out of their £700,000 property a third time.
They have been living in their detached property in Church Minshull since October 2019.
They stayed in rented accommodation for the rest of their lives, after water from the nearby Eel Brook or River Weaver gushed in twice, in October 2019 as well as again in January 2021.

Steve Blackie (pictured) and Karen Morley are taking the drastic action because they can’t face the worry and upheaval of being forced out of their £700,000 property a third time
Last night Mr Blackie, 62, a businessman with his own haulage firm, told the Mail his insurers had forked out a staggering £476,000 for repairs following the two floods.
He and Miss Morley are desperate to start work on the re-build to stop the ‘panic’ every time it rains heavily.
But Mr Blackie criticised Cheshire East Council for ‘dragging their heels’ over the planning application, which was lodged back in March.
‘We bought the house in 2014 and it hadn’t flooded for 25 years before that,’ Mr Blackie said.
‘But the first problem came in October 2019 when 18ins of water from the River Weaver, which is 400 yards away, came into the house. Everything was destroyed and we had to do a complete renovation downstairs. We stayed in rented accommodation until November.
‘We had only been back in for three months when it flooded again, in January this year. We had replaced the wooden parquet floor with stone flooring, and tried to protect the house as best as possible. However, we were still out until August.
‘From myself and my partner’s point of view, we just can’t go through another flood. The stress, worry, and upheaval are too much. To stop flooding, we can only move the house to the top of the garden and knock it down completely.
‘But the plans have been with the council since March and we’ve got nowhere with it.’
Following the flood, Mr Blackie spoke to the council.
The Environment Agency stated that it was up to the landowner to drench the brook. An enforcement notice was issued, but nothing has changed.

The couple (pictured above) have been living at their detached property in Church Minshull for five months since October 2019.
In March Mr Blackie’s architects submitted the first plans for the proposed rebuild, before making amendments in September.
Two neighbours opposed the ‘overbearing’ new property, which one said would overlook their back garden and infringe their privacy but several others were supportive.
The council’s conservation officer also objected to the layout of the new building’s windows and French doors and its height.
Mr Blackie added: ‘They blamed a backlog due to Covid, then they said the house was too big and a neighbour objected. We’ve changed the plans but this has been going on for months now. We want them to tell what we need to do to move forward.
‘We’ve been up twice last week at 3am to check on water levels, it is so stressful every time it rains. We’ve tried to do everything we can. We’ve put a wall completely around the outside of the house, we’ve even put electric gates up to try and stop it.’
Local independent councillor Sarah Pochin, who has visited the property, said: ‘The stress and upheaval that Mr Blackie and his partner have suffered since 2019 are shameful and caused entirely by the failure of both the Environment Agency and Cheshire East Council to work together to solve the flooding issues outside his house.
‘To be faced with knocking your house down and building a new one or knowing that you’ll be flooded again this winter is a ridiculous situation to be in.’
A spokesman for said the planning application was being considered and would be ‘determined’ in due course.
‘Unfortunately, the council does not have the resources to fund flood protection measures for individual properties,’ he said.