Emily Eden: Chesterfield teenager with terminal cancer made homeless by Storm Babet floods, says dad

Emily Eden, 18, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of the disease which has spread to her adrenal gland, lungs and liver four weeks ago.

Dad Richard says Emily’s wish was to remain at home in her “comfort zone” and not in a hospice.

The teen, who doesn’t have long to live, was being treated in a hospital bed at home but is now unlikely to return there.

‘We’re destroyed, we’re absolutely destroyed’

Richard, 58, said: “What’s upset me the most is she’s not gonna be able to be in her own home and she’s going to die somewhere where...I don’t know.

"We’re destroyed, we’re absolutely destroyed.”

Richard’s insurance company has informed him it will be a minimum of three months before the family is able to return to their home on Windermere Road, Clay Cross.

On Friday flood water in the ground floor of Richard Eden’s house reached five feet.

As well as the damage to his home Richard lost two cars – an MG Roadster and an Audi TT – along with his Suzuki GSXR 750 motorbike.

Meanwhile Emily is currently struggling in a hotel room bed while she waits for a medical replacement.

Production manager Richard said: “She slept last night but she was uncomfortable because it’s not a hospital bed and she can’t position it how she needs to and because it’s in her lungs she struggles with her breathing.”

Storm Babet damage estimated to run into ‘tens of millions’

Around 40 households on Windermere Road, next to a much-debated new housing estate were “underwater” after the brook behind them burst its banks following hours of heavy rain.

Mark Allen was wading through the brown water in his hallway as framed pictures float past.

Engineer Mark, 53, estimates the damage to all of the homes which sit alongside the Press Brook will run into “tens of millions”.

Windermere Road lies nearby to a new development of 34 new homes built two years ago.

Crucially, residents and local councillors on Windemere Road opposed the development on the grounds that a portion of land on the north-west corner of the site should remain a flood pain.

However, an appeal for part of the planning permission granted to Woodall Homes to be revoked was denied by North East Derbyshire District Council.

Mark, along with other residents and Tupton Councillor Ross Shipman now say the flooding is evidence that the concerns about the development and potential flooding two years ago were right.

‘We’ve lost everything on the ground floor’

Speaking from his home on Friday, with no heating or electricity, Mark described how he received a call from his wife while at work at just after 10am.

He said: “I got the call and I was here 20 minutes later – by the time I had driven home from work it had gone.

"We’re upstairs now, sat in the bedroom and there’s nothing we an do. It’s too late for us, all the electric’s gone off.

"We’ve lost everything on the ground floor and everything in the garage and shed – on this road you’ll be looking at tens of millions in damages.”

Water from the brook initially breached a neighbour’s garden which sits at a higher level before flooding the road and running down into homes.

It is now breaching gardens into the rear of properties also – while rain is set to continue until well into tomorrow (Saturday) morning.

Speaking about neighbours, Mark added: “There are people moving stuff around and people have lost their cars – everybody has lost everything."

Prior to Friday Windermere Road had not flooded since 1982 – after which the Press Brook was widened.

North East Derbyshire District Council pointed out that Lead Local Flood Authority (Derbyshire County Council) “did not object to the application when planning permission was originally granted in March 2021”.

The spokesman added: “The district council did secure additional mitigation via an underground relief tank that slows the rate of discharge of water into the Brook.

"The council received independent legal advice from a planning barrister which confirmed in strong terms that the district council was not at fault in the way it had handled the application.

"Refusing planning permission on flood risk grounds was highly unlikely to be a defendable position, due to the original approval remaining in place and the revised scheme having no greater impact in this regard.

“A Council does have the ability to revoke a planning permission, however there is a strict legal process to follow and this includes consideration of the development against the development plan and any other material considerations.

"The site is allocated for development in the current local plan and the land that has been physically developed is not classified as being at a high risk of flooding.

"There is the right to object to an order seeking revocation and if an objection is received the Secretary of State is required to determine the case.

"Given the allocation of the site within the local plan there is significant doubt that a revocation would be successful.”