Call to halt all building work (From Tewkesbury Admag)

Call to halt all building work

7:17am Tuesday 5th February 2008 in News

A CAMPAIGNING residents group is calling for all large developments in or near the flood plain to be stopped.

The Severn and Avon Valley Combined Flood Group, which is made up of representatives of local residents' associations, wants Tewkesbury district declared a Special Flood Risk Area.

They say it is particularly vulnerable to flooding because the Severn and Avon converge at Tewkesbury, which means it has large quantities of floodwater to deal with.

Spokesman Dave Witts said: "Tewkesbury is the focal point for what happens in the rest of Gloucestershire as far as flooding is concerned."

The proposal comes in the wake of a report drawn up for the group by retired industrial market analyst Dave Witts and civil engineer and town councillor Vernon Smith.

It shows that the Wheatpieces and the Eastern Relief Road were built in the flood plain on artificially built up land, and in July displaced 528 million gallons of water.

The 1974 Royal Ordnance Survey map for the area shows the Wheatpieces area at less than 12 metres above sea level.

They calculate that it is now over 16metres.

It calls for no more building at all in or near the flood plain, and for work to be carried out urgently on watercourse clearing to allow flood water to get away as quickly as possible.

The report has been welcomed by the National Flood Forum.

Chief Executive Mary Dhonau said: "Many hours of hard work and research has been put into this report and I hope it is treated with the seriousness it deserves.

Stephen Haddrill, Director General of the Association of British Insurers told the authors:" We very much agree with your overall message and had the chance recently of putting it forward to ministers including John Healey."