Homes would be at flood risk (From Tewkesbury Admag)

Homes would be at flood risk

8:48am Thursday 21st February 2008 in News By Peggy Clatworthy

A local expert has condemned a planning application for land off the Bredon Road, which he says is in the flood plain.

Pettifer Estates has submitted a planning application for 79 houses on the riverside plot.

Dave Witts, co-author of the report Building on the Flood Plain is Misguided', has maps that he says show the area is definitely in the functional flood zone.

He is concerned that building the land up to ensure that the new houses are above flood level will simply displace large amounts of water to other places.

Twixt Bears (ok) resident Bob Stockwell said: "I don't think any of the houses should have been built at all.

"Even when the area was allotments it was always flooded or very, very wet.

"Now the floods are taking longer and longer to go away - the recent one lasted four weeks," he said.

Chris Thomas, chairman of the Mitton Area Community Association said: "The new houses will be right up against the edge of the flood plain, at the bottom of Mitton Bank. The water will pour down there next time it floods.

He thinks developers are rushing in to get planning applications approved Pitt report is published later this year, as it is expected to recommend a stop on all building in or near the flood plain.

A development of 305 houses and a large retirement complex are already under construction on the former allotments site.

Rex Thomas of the Environment Agency told a meeting of Mitton residents, called to discuss the latest application, that according to the guidelines within which the agency has to work, the application site is zone one, which means it is extremely unlikely to flood.