Minutes:
Nick Harding provided the Forum with an update.
He stated that with regard to the Royal Haskoning work being undertaken with regards to the Wisbech Garden Town project, there has been no further work undertaken on the project and with regard to the flood risk information the EA hasn’t approved the use of that model for the purposes of planning, which is why the information has not been released.
Nick Harding stated that with regard to the application in Wisbech which is the former Pike Textile site in Wisbech, the Council followed the guidance note which was adopted in 2018. He added it is a Brownfield site used for employment purposes use and the site was up for redevelopment with a proposal for residential use and therefore under the guidance it states that the sequential test is passed and with that particular application there was a site specific flood risk assessment in order to ensure that the development on that site would be safe from flooding.
Nick Harding made reference to the level 2 strategic flood risk assessment (SFRA) which was discussed at Full Council, where Councillor Sutton had asked whether consideration was going to be given in appropriate circumstances to level 2 SFRA, to which Councillor Mrs Laws advised that consideration would be given. Nick Harding stated that with regard to the emerging Local Plan when looking at site allocations, if sites are identified which are going to be in anything other than Flood Zone 1 then in those circumstances, level 2 work is likely to be undertaken in relation to those proposed allocations. Gemma Wildman added that a Level 1 SFRA is currently being prepared, which is looking at all of the proposed sites and upon completion, then it will be determine whether a level 2 SFRA needs to be undertaken, which is very likely, but not confirmed until the Level 1 stage is completed. John Maxey asked for clarification that level 2 will be site specific not district wide, and the 2018 guidance which was Wisbech specific, does not relate to the rest of the district. Nick Harding stated that with regard to the new Local Plan, sites which are at lesser risk of flooding will be selected first and in terms of our policy approach to development it will reflect suitable the flood risk circumstance that the district faces and when it comes to detailed development management decisions in the context of flood risk the particular circumstances need to be reflected. He added that there cannot be a situation in the urban area of Wisbech which are left abandoned purely on basis of flood risk. He stated that there is a built up area and the redevelopment of brownfield sites is an important thing that needs to be provided for in the Local Plan.
Councillor Sutton stated he fully agrees with what Nick Harding has advised. He added that Councillor Mrs Laws has committed to undertake a level 2 flood risk assessment and in his opinion that should still be the case.
Councillor Mrs Laws advised that the current priority is with sites, as they need to be identified. She added that the current Local Plan is not fit for purpose and is old, not flexible and the call for sites which currently exceeds over 500 sites has been the priority.
Tim Slater stated that flood risk is a difficult subject to explain to clients and added that some form of process which doesn’t isolate all development in flood zone 3 is needed.
Nick Harding stated that agents, members and planners all agree that the approach to flood risk is imperfect, however Government policy is to locate development in locations which are of at least flood risk where they are available and that is what the emerging Local Plan is endeavouring to do.