Building on the flood plains

GDB2222

I can see why it’s necessary to build in areas prone to flooding, as this is quite a small country. What I don’t understand is why the buildings are not appropriate?

For goodness sake, raise them up a bit, with stairs up to the front door. Put them on stilts and park the car underneath. It’s obvious. So, why isn’t it a requirement?

RelievedSheff

I have worked on the design of several developments in flood prone areas that do just as you have said with the garages/parking underneath and living accommodation raised above the flood level.

The Miller Homes development at Yarn Street, Leeds was one such example.

The problem is that in this country we have a lot of existing housing stock that is in flood prone areas and tackling these areas is far more of a problem than new build developments which have flood resiliance measure uncorporated into the design and layout of the estates.

GDB2222

Fair enough, but in Fishlake most of the houses have clearly been built in the last 50 years. So, they have all needed planning permission, yet flooding was apparently not considered. It’s not a new phenomenon.

http://www.fishlakevillage.co.uk/images/Historical%20Images/Main%20St%20Flood.jpg

Doozergirl

I don't see why we need to build on flood plains. Over 90% of the country is green!

davidmcn

GDB2222 wrote: »

Fair enough, but in Fishlake most of the houses have clearly been built in the last 50 years. So, they have all needed planning permission, yet flooding was apparently not considered. It’s not a new phenomenon.

http://www.fishlakevillage.co.uk/images/Historical%20Images/Main%20St%20Flood.jpg

Ok, but you're still talking about historical developments rather than current planning policy - in which flooding certainly is considered fully.

stuart45

There was a development on the A38 near Bridgewater built on a flood plain.
There was a large sign next to the road saying ' A free boat and divers suit with every house sold'
It was up for about a week before they took it down.

AdrianC

Central Hereford, right next to the A49 bridge over the Wye.

2018 -

Last month - https://twitter.com/deepredfish/status/1188418135273148416

RelievedSheff

Doozergirl wrote: »

I don't see why we need to build on flood plains. Over 90% of the country is green!

And is classified as green belt so can't be built on (apart from a few rare exceptions)

leviathan

GDB2222 wrote: »

Fair enough, but in Fishlake most of the houses have clearly been built in the last 50 years.

It's the best example of the stupidy and greed of those granting permission to build in such places.
It's called FishLAKE
Is there any more of a hint ?

sal_III

The UK isn't that small and we are like No.50 in population density, there is plenty of land to build on. It might require spending on infrastructure to make it residential, hence why most of the building is expanding existing population centres, which are often build by rivers for historic reasons.

The problem is that most of the properties are build long ago, when there was less concern about flooding or it wasn't that severe (climate change etc.). I'm fairly sure new building regs are accounting for that.

buggy_boy

Does it not come down to cost, to build a property like the one in the photo is so much more expensive than a traditional build, councils have targets to meet and if a developer says no it does not work financially so will not build these sorts of properties how will councils meet their targets?

BTW I totally agree with you though, just playing devils advocate..