NORTHWICH councillors are asking to meet with the Environment Agency to find out if Leftwich flood zones need to be reclassified.

Northwich Town Council, which looks after the Leftwich area, is concerned about the impact of a changing climate on the Dane Valley, where a housing estate of 187 houses is planned.

Cllr Brian Jamieson said: "This has come about because of the extreme weather and problems it has caused.

"Fortunately we have escaped the heavy weather this time, I'm not saying we will escape all year, but there's a real problem.

"What this council's planning committee is concerned about is whether in the flood zone identified for Dane Valley those classifications and zones will be affected by extreme weather predictions."

Speaking at the latest Northwich Town Council meeting, Cllr Jamieson said 2009 levels were half a metre above previous highest levels and that records in 2015 were half a metre above the 2009 levels.

"The amount of water is increasing and increasing," he said.

"We should ask the Environment Agency whether that's an issue and whether we should look at the possibility of recalculating it for Dane Valley."

He also expressed fears about some of the recent floods in the north being exacerbated by fallen trees getting stuck under bridges and creating dams.

"We have got trees all the way up the Dane," he said.

"If one of those trees was in the river no doubt it would get stuck under Victoria Bridge and could cause problems."

Northwich Town Council agreed to arrange meetings with the Environment Agency, the Canal and River Trust and Cheshire West and Chester Council's emergency planning team.

Meanwhile former Leftwich man John Yould, who reads the Guardian from his new home in Spain, sent in these pictures of the Dane Valley in flood around 15 years ago.

"It's ridiculous, absolutely crazy," he said.

"People don't know the area who are on about building there."