If you go back in history, houses had soak-away drainage, no or gravel drives. Housing development was dense and served by buses / trams, shops were in terraces with houses above.
Today all properties are connected to drainage with no attenuation. In April 2017, Water companies lost many of their powers to limit flow volumes and SUDS have never been supported by developers. People have concreted their drives, eliminating historic soak-aways. New housing is spread out, haphazard and with lots of parking. Cars rule, with car parks everywhere. Shopping centres & out of town developments are dominated by parking. Nobody maintains road gulleys, watercourses or rivers.
Grouse burning & intense farming has stopped moorland retaining water. Trees have been cut down, ditches filled and land management stopped.
We allow development on flood plains.
Meadowhall is a victim of its own actions, simple as that!
Moderator note: can we please stick to the effects on railways from now on; if you wish to make a post that is not related to the effects on railways, please post it in General Discussion, thanks.