Flood fears threat to mill homes plans

JOSEPH TIMAN

FEARS over flooding are standing in the way of a plan to develop a former paper mill site.

The former Mondi Paper Mill, also known as Holcombe Mill, in Ramsbottom could be redeveloped by Eccleston Homes to accommodate 83 houses ranging from one to four bedrooms in size, as we reported last month.

But environment experts told the council to refuse the plans in their current form due to a risk of flooding on the land off Bridge Street, which lies next to the River Irwell.

Ramsbottom resident Marlene Hession described the proposed development as the biggest in a generation for the town, with a population of 18,000.

But she warned of the dangers of building on the Mondi Mill site following “regular flooding” there as well as the cricket pitch, Nuttall Park and Ramsbottom football ground.

Residents were unable to return to their homes for up to 18 months after the Boxing Day floods in 2015 devastated the town which has suffered “serious flooding” again earlier this year, according to Mrs Hession.

She said: “Residents of Ramsbottom are only too aware of the regular flooding in the town.

“One only has to look at the plastic bags hanging from the trees on the banks of the Irwell by the Mondi site to see how high the river level rises. It took many, many months for the town to recover. The Environment Agency is well aware that the Mondi site is a flood plain.”

The Environment Agency criticised the developer for failing to consider how people will be kept safe from flood hazards and how they would be evacuated.

Planning advisor Sylvia Whittingham told council

●● Mondi Mill from Bridge Street planners that the application does not comply with requirements for a site-specific flood risk assessment.

She said: “In the absence of an acceptable flood risk assessment we object to this application and recommend that planning permission is refused.”

Ramsbottom councillor Clare Cummins said she welcomes “the most thorough scrutiny” of the flood risk by Bury Council.

But she said there has been “strong support” from residents for housing, commercial units and some car parking at the site in past public meetings. She said: “The derelict Mondi Site is an eyesore in the centre of Ramsbottom and residents are keen to get it developed. Given the increasing impact of climate change on our local environment, notably flooding in Ramsbottom and elsewhere locally in recent years, flood risk is a major risk for consideration in any planning application.”

Coun Cummins said she was “disappointed” that planning procedures during the coronavirus crisis may not allow for a full and proper consultation with residents due to the inability to hold public meetings.

Eccleston Homes was contacted but did not wish to comment.