Flood risk delays new homes plan (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Flood risk delays new homes plan

FLOODING fears have delayed a plan to build three new homes in a west Wiltshire village.

Residents and parish councillors in Codford have opposed the affordable housing project despite the Environment Agency saying the land is not in a flood plain.

The plan was deferred at a meeting on June 2 to give the parish council time to meet the agency to raise their concerns and compile a dossier of evidence.

Romy Wyeth, parish council chairman, said: "The basic fact is that area floods on a regular basis.

"If you get certain weather conditions in winter the brook bursts its banks.

"We don't feel it would be a good idea to build houses next to the brook.

"What concerns us most is affordable houses being built on a floodplain. They're affordable but floodable.

"We feel this quite strongly and will be making representation at the next planning meeting and are putting together a dossier of photographs."

After considering comments from the public, made at a meeting of West Wiltshire District Council's planning committee, Cllr Tom James urged fellow councillors to take village concerns on board.

He said: "We know it's going to flood and do we want to put anybody into that position?

"I think it would be remiss of us when we have so much knowledge from local people to then take the advice of the Environment Agency."

The Environment Agency published new flood maps in October, which showed the land is no longer at risk of flooding.

A spokesman said: "We wrote in March and had no objection to this scheme because a year ago new maps were drawn up for flood plains and where this used to be in a flood plain, it's no longer in one.

"Every so often maps are drawn up to review where flood plains are."

The committee deferred the application for a further meeting to be held between the parish council and the agency to assess flooding concerns.