The recent approval of the Miller Homes development on Beckett’s Field off Nottingham Road has caused great concern among Southwell Flood Forum and residents. Recent media attention before the planning meeting, highlighted and emphasised our previous stated concerns.
The development is in a particularly sensitive location opposite the Minster School bordered by Potwell Dyke which severely flooded in 2013. The application can be viewed here
The planning application had previously been deferred pending the release of Southwell’s hydrological flood model and report which have been delayed.
In December 2014, SFF wrote to the developer, Miller Homes, the Chief Executive of Nottinghamshire County Council (the lead Flood Authority) and Leader of Newark & Sherwood District Council (the planning authority), requesting that the proposed mitigation on that development be tested by the model.
This would set a precedent, establishing a measurable baseline of flood risk and reassure the community that the development did not increase our vulnerability to flooding.
The developers declined to use the model, stating that they had fulfilled their statutory obligation under National Planning Policy Framework.
Despite being led to believe by NCC that the model would help to protect our town, we now understand that they cannot enforce its use by developers.
Following the approval of the Beckett’s Field development, the community is concerned that this will open the “flood gates” for future developments without them being tested by the model.
While we’re very grateful to Town Councillor Julian Hamilton who, in his capacity on the NSDC Planning Committee, continued to support us in our fight for flood mitigation, the failure of the Planning Committee to defer this application left us no option but to contact our MP, Robert Jenrick who has asked Rt Hon Eric Pickles Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to review the application, which will effectively defer it a couple of months until the flood model is available. The Flood Forum will then request that the County Council run the Becketts Field development through the model.
Read about this in the Newark Advertiser
