Topic ID 1033
On the Environment Agency website they show areas at risk of flooding..The new development on Tamworth Rd is in this area, as the rain comes down I'm glad I live on a hill, has this area ever flooded ?
Reply ID 11462
There are loads of new developments built on flood plains. Unfortunately prospective property buyers are not told this and it's not the sort of question that they ask as they don't expect a new house to be built in a flood risk area. Disgraceful underhand principles by property developers if you ask me.
Reply ID 11473
Caveat Emptor.
Reply ID 11475
When we bought our house we had an ecological (?) survey done. It showed the floodplain around Hertford (watch out Lower Bengeo residents association) sources of nuclear material and useful stuff like that. Doesn't everyone do this?
Reply ID 11477
One thing I checked before buying was the flood plain around the Beane, because we are close enough to be wary. Luckily the front wall of our garden should be the only thing that gets a bit damp.
Reply ID 11479
Most flood damage is done by water entering the house via the air bricks, filling the void then rising through the floor boards. If you want to be be prepared then keep some piece of plywood to hand and if it does rain very hard, place the wood over each air brick and then pile sandbags or bricks in front. It wont be water tight but it will keep the bulk of the water out.
Reply ID 11502
I know of a development in Hertford that makes a mockery of the Planning Department and all of the nonsense spouted by Prescott and the like following the floods of 2000. This development is built in a flood plain. It was built in 2001 and work started 6 months after the 2000 floods. The developers plans were rejected several times. The last time their application was rejected they appealed and the case went for review by H/M Inspector. To further complicate matters the outline planning permission for the site was soon up for renewal. If their appeal was rejected by H.M. Inspector then the outline planning permission would probably not have been renewed and the land would never have been built upon. 1 week before the H.M. Inspectors inquiry we had the 2000 floods and the site was under water, flooded by the River Lea. I was there when a guy from the development company tuned up in his wellies, watched me wading thigh deep in my garage and commented to me that they would 'just rework their levelling'. Because of the flooding nationally that week there was much comment in the media about developing on flood plains and Prescott was in the press stating that it had to stop and will stop. The Environment Agency wrote a letter to H.M Inspector regarding the development near me and did not merely give advice but insisted that this piece of land was not built upon. In addition I submitted photographs of the flood showing how the area was affected inclusing the very land under threat of development. I also attended the inquiry and stated thecase for not building on the flood plain. Guess what. 21 'apartments' (flats). The planning department is useless. The H.M. Inspectorate is useless. The whole bloody lot is a sham.
Reply ID 18592
quote:Hello, How did you check this? Is there a website you can turn to to find out?
Originally posted by skanky
One thing I checked before buying was the flood plain around the Beane, because we are close enough to be wary. Luckily the front wall of our garden should be the only thing that gets a bit damp.
Reply ID 18599
If you put your postcode into the search bar in the following URL you should find out. http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/subjects/flood/1217883/?version=1&lang=_e
Reply ID 18603
That's the one.
Reply ID 18604
quote:It sounds from your post that the Planning department refused planning permission and the applicant exercised their right of appeal. These can be very frustrating - I have handled a number of appeals and even though you know what the true situation is, you are bound by the decision of the Inspector who only visits the site on one occassion. The decision by the Planning Inspectorate can be just as frustrating for the planning department as it is for the general public, particularly given the time and cost implications of fighting a public inquiry. As for the land searches, many house buyers contact the planning department after receiving enviro-searches or similar, but we have found that in they tend to have an error of up to 500 metres and some of the information that buyers would want can only truely be found out by digging trial pits on the land in question.
Originally posted by Ewoowar
I know of a development in Hertford that makes a mockery of the Planning Department and all of the nonsense spouted by Prescott and the like following the floods of 2000. The planning department is useless. The H.M. Inspectorate is useless. The whole bloody lot is a sham.