A WOMAN who has run a pole and aerial fitness business for 18 years has said the “devastating” impact of last month’s floods has forced her to close it.
Sonia Allcock, 43, from Rhuddlan, had been running “Phoenix Pole and Aerial Fitness” at her studio on Kingsley Avenue.
Shelley Cropper, who owns the Inferno Dance Studio in which Sonia's business was based, is relocating to The Hub, Rhyl to continue her own dance lessons.
But because of the amount of damage caused her to premises by the Storm Babet floods on October 20, Sonia has said her business is “finished”.
READ MORE:
MP calls for urgent meeting after devastation of Storm Babet floods
‘Forgotten’ Dyserth residents urge help after floods devastate village
Rhyl pensioner forced to evacuate house as floods leave homes ‘ruined’
She said: “It’s been a pretty awful experience. It’s devastating. We had flooding in August 2017, but my business will definitely not recover this time.
“The flooding caused damage to the studio floor - lots of the carpet, and lots of our props, had to be thrown away.
“I had to refund everybody straight away. It caused two job losses – for me, and for my assistant.
“It’s gut-wrenching. I put my heart and soul into my business. I’m just finished. I’m so fed up with it.”
Sonia said she looked for work as soon as she decided to close her business, and has already found employment elsewhere.
But she called for authorities such as Denbighshire County Council (DCC) and Natural Resources Wales (NRW) to take action which will alleviate the risk of this re-occurring.
She added: “I feel that Friday was quite preventable, in that DCC didn’t open the floodgate on The Cut, and I felt we could have had a lot more support from them.
“What is there to say that this won’t happen again? There’s no accountability from anybody.
“I want DCC to come forward and admit some kind of liability or responsibility for not maintaining the drainage systems, and for NRW to do something about the flooding.”
Sonia has also contacted James Davies, MP for Vale of Clwyd, and Cllr Rachel Roberts (Cefndy ward, Rhyl Town Council) for help on the matter.
Dr Davies has called for an urgent meeting with NRW, DCC and Welsh Water, while Cllr Roberts said the impact of the floods on Sonia’s business left her “horrified”.
“I was very sorry to hear that Phoenix Pole and Aerial Fitness had been flooded again, and I have been in contact with Sonia to offer my support,” Dr Davies said.
“My thoughts are with Sonia and all those affected by the recent flooding.
“Clearly, it has been a distressing time for hundreds of people and there will be many who are also facing a significant financial impact as a result of this flooding.
“I have called for an urgent meeting with NRW, Welsh Water and DCC to discuss how a recurrence of the flooding which devastated homes and businesses across the Vale of Clwyd can be prevented in the future.”
Cllr Roberts added: “I met with Sonia at the dance studio last week and was horrified to see and hear about the devastation the floods have caused to her business.
“This isn’t the first time it’s happened and preventative measures need to be taken to stop this happening again in the future.
“As a recently elected town councillor for the Cefndy ward, I want to know that residents and business owners feel safe, secure and protected from such devastation where possible.
“I will be raising this in our next council meeting.”
In response, a NRW spokesperson said: “Flooding can be devastating and our thoughts are with those affected by the heavy rainfall triggered by Storm Babet which impacted several communities across North East Wales.
“A severe flood warning was put in place in Llandrinio, Powys along with additional flood warnings and alerts, demonstrating the huge amount of rainfall that fell in North and Mid Wales over a relatively small amount of time.
“Our staff had been working extended shifts to minimise the effects of the storm where possible, but more rain fell more quickly in parts of Wales than the forecast had suggested.
“As we do after every serious flood event, we are reviewing how all our flood assets performed across North East Wales.”
Attempts were also made to contact DCC for comment.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here