Brick, terraces and town-centre buildings
Accrington is known for its hard red brick, and the older streets show it: terraces, boundary walls and the brick-lined inspection chambers that go with the drains. That brick is tough, but the clay pipes it was laid alongside are more than a century old in many places, and their joints are the weak point. Beyond the terraces are 1930s and post-war estates and newer housing on former industrial land.
The town centre adds a different kind of load. Shops, takeaways, cafes and flats above them put more grease, wipes and food waste into the same old drains than a row of houses would, and fat blockages are common where food businesses share a drain with their neighbours.
What tends to go wrong
In Accrington, look out for:
- Grease and wipes building up in drains serving the town centre, flats and takeaways
- Cracked or displaced clay joints on the older terraces, which let in roots and silt
- Tree roots on the streets round the parks and on older villa roads
- Drains shared between a shop and the flat above, where it is hard to tell who is responsible
- Old brick chambers where the benching has broken up and holds debris
Landlords, flats and shared buildings
A lot of Accrington's older property is let, or split into flats, and that raises a question every time a drain blocks: whose is it? Pipes serving a single flat are usually that flat's responsibility, while pipes shared by several properties often belong to the water company, and the building owner or landlord may be responsible for the rest. We find where the fault is and explain who it falls to, so the right person pays for the right repair.
Postcodes covered and nearby areas
We cover the BB5 postcode district, which takes in Accrington itself and the neighbouring towns of Church, Clayton-le-Moors and Oswaldtwistle, as well as Huncoat, Baxenden and Altham. Rishton (BB1) and Great Harwood (BB6) are close by too.
Our services in Accrington
Every service is available in Accrington. Pick the one that matches your problem, or call and the team will tell you which it is.