Somerset Levels

It comes down to money…

Its cheaper (i.e. more profitable) to build on flat level ground than on a hill, its cheaper to build the bland boxes than one build with the expectation that it IS going to flood so you build in the resilience to that. Couple to the fact that flood plain land tends to be slightly cheaper.

The bulk (not all of them there are exceptions) of housing developers work on the fiscal policy of “take the money and run” and tend to be in some form of cahoots in one way or another with those that make the planning decisions – I’m not saying that all these planning decisions are bent but you look around and you find yourself asking on certain developments “how the f..k did that get planning permission”.

The answer probably lies in the fact that some (and not all, as it only takes one or two bad apples in the right place to influence a decision) people are taking bungs, its fairly obvious when you open your eyes – there is simply too much money involved in property. Lets face it if you are on a £20k local government salary and a developer starts waving £10k in your face for a development to be given the nod…..

The Scottish Borders was notorious for some very dodgy planning decisions vis-a-vis “barn” developments, you only had to drive into the region from Northumberland, Dumfrieshire, Lothian etc to see it. Cross the county border and it was building site, building site, building site as you drove down the road and these weren’t subtle, in keeping conversions these were whacking great “Southfork” style mansions stuck in the middle of a field.

From personal experience I have witnessed an truly sustainable co-operative self/community eco build development of three low cost houses, that were hidden away in a small area of pine plantation knocked back time and time again by planning officials as “not in keeping with the area” despite no objections and positive support from locals. After five years of trying the co-op got fed up and sold the land off to a developer who flattened the wood (the eco build plans would have only lost about 10 trees) and had a 6 bed mansion built in 2 years despite a MASSIVE campaign of local objection that was effectively ignored.

At the end of the day its only one element to the flooding problem but we have a massive problem in this country with the way housing is developed and planned. Basically if you have the money then you can get just about anything built anywhere in this country. 😡

It comes down to money…

Indeed it does…

Not sure its worth spending money on, it looks like theres a southern island developing, split by the Thames from London to Bristol.

We should just get on with developing petty rivalry.

edit: its that havent been warned bit that is quite astonishing, like watching a cancer patient drag on a cigarette.

Well I’m frankly astonished the Govt hasn’t done more to stop this incessant rainfall we’re experiencing.

And tongue in cheek comment aside, I’m sure I read that the number of homes flooded this year was far less than in 2012. Okay, so its not a flash flood and the Somerset levels have been inundated for a long time now, but wasn’t it worse back in 2012?

wasnt so long ago the same posters ^ were demanding something be done about the snow.

shortage of winter tyre/snow socks/ima gr8 driver threads so far this year.

We should just get on with developing petty rivalry civil war.

😈

A lot of EA projects are funded by outside organisations with the EA putting in some money. The EA hands are tied by the money they are given then with the whole of the EA through out England trying to get a part of that money so they can do projects and schemes.

With our budget keep getting slashed they have to cut back and the higher ups have told the Government we need more money but its always falls on deaf ears.

Maybe if we didn’t waste billions fighting in foreign wars and bailing out bankers their might have been more money for flood defences.

I hope that bloke’s got planning permission for his new mud-bank.

the “billions bailing out bankers” represents just 3 years of the tax that Financial Services companies paid in the years before the crash via corporation tax and employment related taxes.

The banks have got a lot to answer for but even now contribute around £55B a year to the government – or half of the entire cost of the NHS… something that seems lost on those who advocate even higher taxes on banks.

Well I’m frankly astonished the Govt hasn’t done more to stop this incessant rainfall we’re experiencing.

I do believe Cameron has now taken charge of the weather via his much loved Cobra committee….

There’s a couple of mudbanked house’s out there.

I will assume that Sam Notaro is of the large local glazing and property developing family based just outside Bridgwater 🙂

A large convoy from Europe arrived at Dunball today, all the lorries parked up on the dual carriageway, several trucks of pipe and several trucks with very large water pumps. Earth works in progress to get the pumps sited and running.

wasnt so long ago the same posters ^ were demanding something be done about the snow.

Something has been done about the snow we have rain now… 😛

There was even an editorial in the New Civil Engineer that suggested that whilst dreding may have delayed the inevitable it would have resulted in more severe flooding downstream in a more urbanised areas.

I wasn’t aware there was urbanised areas downstream from the Somerset Levels. I thought the sea was downstream from the levels so getting rid of water from the levels faster had no downside. Am I wrong?

I do believe Cameron has now taken charge of the weather via his much loved Cobra committee….

does anyone else think of this scene every time they mention the Cobra committee?

@irc – Bridgewater? Seemed pretty urban last time I rode through it.

I think of G.I Joe and the Cobra Commander. As to why Cameron things wearing a costume will help in any way…..

Most of this is about leadership.

Just been watching local news.

The pumps are being set up at Dunball, along with other works to prevent Bridgwater copping it.

The Dutch to the rescue 🙂

That new build 1M pound home with the bank around it – would it not have been better to build it either or stilts or a raised mound in the first place. It isn’t like the danger is unknown on a flood plain.

Quoting from the Western Daily Press: “When he started building this house four years ago, Sam worked out the highest point that flood waters had ever reached in these parts and added another foot. ‘I did apply to go three feet higher, but the planning people wouldn’t have it‘ In some places beyond the wall, the water is now five feet over the ground, and still climbing”
And churches were always put on the very highest point as a place of refuge. Burrow Mump and Glastonbury TOR being the most extreme examples.

the last person who tried to hold back the rising water failed why do these somerset folk expect to do any better.

The Dutch have been pretty successful.[/quote]

How much do they spend on this kind of thing though?

There is also a limit on the amount we can contribute to any individual scheme, determined by a benefit-to-cost rule imposed on us by the Treasury.

Typical bureaucratic answer, maybe if they had not left it so long it would have been cheaper and not breached the guidelines.[/quote]

Well, if they hadn’t been starved of money by governments of all colours, for years, perhaps they could have been acting earlier, and continually.

Nothing can happen quickly, long term plans, and funding, is required… politicians don’t do long term, mostly because the electorate always want this year’s problems fixing, not possible future problems. This applies as much to managing water, as it does to how we generate our electricity, or keep our transport routes moving, etc…

Quoting from the Western Daily Press: “When he started building this house four years ago, Sam worked out the highest point that flood waters had ever reached in these parts and added another foot. ‘I did apply to go three feet higher, but the planning people wouldn’t have it’

Fair play to him then. Wonder if he has any case against the planners?

The Dutch to the rescue

This is no time to be getting stoned!

On a more serious note, how much does it cost to build a reservoir? Maybe there should be some compulsory purchases of land/homes in an area that floods badly and build a reservoir there. It’s not like the people are going to be able to sell their homes any other way as a lot will be uninsurable now.

They were talking about extending Cheddar reservoir north westerly up to the A38 as the farm land there floods anyway.

Better off planting trees and wetlands on it, rather than reservoirs I reckon. Lots of schemes on the table for this sort of thing.

But that won’t stop us having the inevitable hose pipe ban in the summer as they have not managed the water correctly.

At count zero, if I were him I would consider suing the council then!

On a more serious note, how much does it cost to build a reservoir? Maybe there should be some compulsory purchases of land/homes in an area that floods badly and build a reservoir there. It’s not like the people are going to be able to sell their homes any other way as a lot will be uninsurable now.

They were talking about extending Cheddar reservoir north westerly up to the A38 as the farm land there floods anyway.
Oddly enough, there was a letter in the WDP suggesting exactly the same thing, and it could be a good idea, as a last resort, plus they can be used for leisure activities as well, fishing, sailing, and sailboarding, along with the benefits for water birds.
Another thing I was reading about the cuts to the EA, which I had forgotten, is that Margaret Beckett, when in charge of DEFRA, was given a large amount of money by the EU as a refund to British farmers, but she held on to most of the money, even when threatened with fines by the EU. She finally paid the money, but not after the EU levied fines, and as the EA had become part of DEFRA, the EA had the fine, amounting to millions, taken from their budget.
Now another 1000 homes near Bridgewater are threatened, along with other rail links, and even the M5!

All too often roof/eves height takes precedence with planners. I’ve worked on numerous projects trying to rectify flooding due to this on some very recent buildings, sad really.

As Snoop Dogg might say: “smoke weed plant trees everyday.”

More trees on higher ground = more woodsy singletrack at elevation. It’s a win-win.

Andyl – Cheddar extension is still planned (cheddar2 it’s called in the plans). Due around 2023 ish but a long way to go but contractors have already been approached.

Reservoirs also used for public water supply aren’t what you want for flood defence a once you get the nasties from flood water into the reservoir they are quite hard to get out/treat (metals, pesticides etc).

Typical bureaucratic answer, maybe if they had not left it so long it would have been cheaper and not breached the guidelines.

The EA operates within the legal framework set by the Government. If the Treasury mandates certain spending crieteria then you can’t blame the EA for following them….

It`s Bridgwater ,no e !!

I hope the stuff in this alleged EA insider blog isn’t accurate.

http://www.insidetheenvironmentagency.co.uk/

Irc – there are a lot of good people at the EA but there’s no leadership which leads to the points in that blog.

Fascinating what’s happening to the Ground Water

A disturbing picture of flooded Britain is revealed in new figures about the saturation of the ground. The British Geological Survey runs 32 boreholes across the country and an astonishing nine of them show record water levels. One has never been so full in its 179 years of operation.

The scientists analysing the data describe it as extraordinary. And these high levels are not just of scientific interest. They mean that the ground is at full capacity, so any more rain inevitably means more flooding. Readings from the rivers are equally alarming. Of 65 river sampling stations, 17 have never seen such high average flows for January. And the worrying development is that these exceptional flows have lasted so long and are likely to continue.

from BBC