The Environment Agency stands in the way of a home owner’s plan to build a flood wall to protect a bungalow in a “high risk” area of Keswick.
Owners of Driftwood Cottage on Crosthwaite Road – in the “firing line” of the River Greta – want to build a barrier around the house after suffering several six-inch floods of the ground floor.
But the agency – an important stakeholder in any decision – has formally objected twice.
The EA wants to see more evidence and said the existing “flood risk assessment” was unacceptable and did not explain what would happen to displaced flood water steered away from the property.
The agency said: “Satisfactory evidence is not provided to demonstrate that the development will not cause or increase the risk of flooding elsewhere.”
Keswick Town Council has agreed to support the home owner’s plan for a flood barrier – but only after overturning the recommendation of its planning group to object.
Cllr Paul Titley said he “didn’t buy” the argument that protecting the property with a flood wall would make flooding worse for others nearby.
“My guess is it might make a difference of about half-an-inch – it won’t make a measurable impact on anybody’s property on that road,” said Cllr Titley.
“I am quite happy to support this application. I am fine with a neighbour trying to protect their property from flooding on Crosthwaite Road.
“I wouldn’t like us to have to explain to anyone living on that road that we had done anything to prevent them from increasing the protection of their property.”
He was supported by Cllr David Burn, who said: “The applicant stated that flood waters have entered the property in the past when the River Greta over-topped the town’s flood defences and there is no doubt the property is in the firing line were this to happen again.
“Having lived within a couple of hundred metres of the property until earlier this year, I have experienced the mental anguish local residents face when river levels are high and there are forecasts of more heavy rain.
“And having been flooded twice I know how grim this can be. A large part of our role as town council is to support our residents and do what we can to ensure their wellbeing.
“The proposed flood wall at this property would have little, if any, effect on increasing flood risk elsewhere so I strongly believe we would have been wrong to oppose it. Happily, after much debate, we did not.”
Cllr Steve Harwood, who leads Keswick’s three-member planning group, said the concern had been that by enlarging the “protective envelope” around the bungalow with a barrier wall ran the risk of “increasing” the impact of flood waters on others.
He said any flood protection measures should be directed at the existing external walls and that the EA took a similar view.
The plans for Driftwood include a proposed vehicular access direct from Crosthwaite Road and reconstructing the existing garage in the rear garden.
The final decision will be made by the LDNPA.
