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River Ouse |
Text of deputation to Development Control Committee in Feb this year Applications 99/01568/OUT & 99/01569/OUT Mr. Chairman, we have a number of major concerns about these applications, the first of which relates to… FLOODING In the light of recent, disastrous experiences, ill advised residential developments on or near flood plains are beginning to cause widespread concern. Meanwhile, the Meteorological Office and research organisations warn of increased risk of flooding in the future due to climatic change.
The Environment Agency has a general presumption against development on flood plains and their recent publication Policy & Practice for the Protection of Floodplains states: "Floodplains should be safeguarded to protect their natural role in allowing the storage and free flow of flood waters" and that "flood defences reduce but do not eliminate…" the risk of flooding. In his Independent Review of the Easter 98 Floods for the Environment Agency Peter Bye states that urbanisation of flood plains creates potential for flood disasters and therefore he says: "…the avoidance of further …river flood plain development is a self evident lesson.." and "…it is not possible… to guarantee complete protection to communities in flood prone areas…" A recent House of Commons Sub Committee recommended that development on flood plains should be resisted. This is reflected at local level by the Milton Keynes Council's Flood Panel recommendation, now adopted as Council policy. We are advised by a hydrology expert that a development on this site, although relatively small, could nonetheless push waters earlier into Stony Stratford. Any risk of this would be totally unacceptable to local people. |
Text of letter to FT following an article on floods Dear Sir If the floods don't get you…. FT 22/1/2000 We read with interest the article by Anne Spackman about the dangers of worsening weather conditions and potential flood threat to new housing in the future. In particular we were interested to note that "the (Environment) agency and the insurance industry are lobbying hard to persuade local authorities not to build new housing in risky areas." Although we are not aware of the above mentioned lobbying we are however, aware that the Environment Agency has a "general presumption" against building on flood plains and that they are soon to publish what we understand to be more stringent guidelines on this matter. Our group is currently fighting to prevent a proposed development of 46 dwellings, to be built in an area of local flood plain, adjacent to local parkland and a conservation area. We were therefore astonished that the EA recently approved in principle, flood amelioration works proposed by a developer for the site in question… and this in an area where there is no real pressure for land, as Stony Stratford is part of the growing city of Milton Keynes. Changing weather patterns are indeed worrying, not only for areas already known to be at risk but for other areas too. The increased risk of flooding to domestic properties caused by individual housing developments in vulnerable areas, the aggregate effect of such developments along rivers and the loss of flood plain are fast becoming issues of national concern. Therefore, should not the Environment Agency be using their knowledge and expertise to influence Government policy at local and national levels, and actively campaigning against such developments, rather than merely responding to individual plans from developers? Yours faithfully
Frank Schencks, Gwen Yates, Eddie Richards, Ann Ashworth, Graham Bejamin, Neil Mercer, Diane Jeavons, Fiona Harris & Lyn Dawes. Friends of the Mill Field, Stony Stratford. C/O 6, Mill Lane, Email fhis@breathemail.net |
