Hammy the Hamster and Roderick the Rat were amazed when Magna Riverside popped up alongside their riverbank home just under the River Wey bridge in Godalming. The old offices behind Bridge House are being converted into 17 Luxury Apartments with Juliette Balconies overlooking the swirling depths of the River Wey – “ooh that’s nice” they thought. “Maybe we will have somewhere to hide if the river floods our bankside homes.”
Hammy and Roderick say they will enjoy watching the new residents looking out over the Lammas Lands. Riverside it certainly is, unbelievably close to the riverbank. Still, what’s a little water among friends? The week of January 23rd this year saw a deluge of rain. No flooding yet but the site is in Flood zone 2. The building itself is a conversion from the old office block behind Bridge House. Granted in April last year.
Hammy and Roderick think you will enjoy seeing the pictures they took this week.
At the front of the development is a sign saying the development is being sold through Savills – and then the line ‘Help to Buy available’!
Something NEVER associated with Savills!!
And here are links to the planning consent letter and report:
Planning consent granted letter 20 April 2017
http://plandocs.waverley.gov.uk/Planning/StreamDocPage/obj?DocNo=6333302&content=obj.pdf
Grant report
http://plandocs.waverley.gov.uk/Planning/StreamDocPage/obj?DocNo=6333323&content=obj.pdf
Are they mad?
On 6 April 2015, the Government’s new planning policy on eco-friendly sustainable drainage systems at new major housing developments came into effect, following up on a very well presented paper by the then Secretary of State Eric Pickles in December 2014 putting forward plans for sustainable drainage for new developments of 10 homes or more.
But Waverley Borough Council’s priority is to concentrate on meeting Government set targets for achieving new housing numbers.
Cranleigh Civic Society showed photos of flooding in December 2013 to Waverley planners. The flooding was at a point ABOVE the level of sustainable drainage on site at a new development in Elmbridge Lane, next to the river called Cranleigh Waters. However, the planners ignored that and they passed the development anyway.
If you take a look today at the BBC News Website, there’s photos and footage of the extensive flooding in Paris at the moment, and discussion about global warming and climate change.
Back in the UK, the latest Met Office climate change projections (UKCPO3) are showing a plus 30% worst case increase in winter precipitation by 2080. Let’s hope that Waverley has taken all this into account in considering this new Godalming development, because the insurance industry has already stated that, in line with the Flood Risk Regulations 2009, they won’t pay out on new dwellings built in flood risk areas after 1st January 2009 (other than pre-assessed rebuilds / refurbs).