Floods on land set for housing
Maidenhead: Worry over waterlogged development site
Dramatic flooding in Maidenhead has raised fresh concerns over the choices of allocated sites for housing in the Royal Borough.
Earlier this month, resident Paul Serjeant snapped a picture of a car stranded in a flooded area on land adjacent to A308(M).
This has been zoned for residential development in the Borough Local Plan (BLP). This site, AL13, is broken up into sections which will be developed by different developers.
So far, permission has been given to Berkeley Homes for 199 family homes and an application for 215 homes by Taylor Wimpey is also going through the planning process.
“If you buy a property on the Taylor Wimpey site, these will be ‘looking out’ and adjacent to this flooded area,” Paul said.
“Future floods will be only too easily accessible for residents of the new development next door. I just think it’s completely mad [to put houses there],” he said.
“I have been here 30 years – I drive past that place and I know there is a big flood on that land two to three times a year.”
A Taylor Wimpey spokesperson said: “We understand the concerns of local residents and would like to assure them that we have worked closely with the lead local flood authority to produce a flood risk assessment and drainage strategy for the site.
“If [our planning application is] approved, a new onsite drainage network will be installed to manage surface water levels and to minimise future surface water flood risk.
“We will continue to work closely with the council as our plans progress.”
A spokesman for the Royal Borough said: “Managing flood risk was an important consideration fully taken into account during the Borough Local Plan [BLP] process, which was informed by extensive evidence including strategic flood risk assessment.
“Latest modelling of the Desborough, Harvest Hill Road, and south west Maidenhead housing allocation area (AL13) shows 100 percent of the site is in the lowest river-based flood risk.
“Some land at the south of the site along Harvest Hill is affected by surface water flood risk, which is recognised in the Borough Local Plan and satisfactory solutions will have to be put in place by any developer.
“This matter will be carefully scrutinised through the planning application process, including through consultation with the Lead Local Flood Authority and other relevant consultees.
“The developer will need to satisfy the Royal Borough the surface water flood risk can be satisfactorily managed.”