Residents in Covingham have been reassured that the proposed Eastern Villages plan will not put their homes at risk of another flooding nightmare.
Last night, around 100 residents filled the hall at Covingham Park Primary School for the Parish Council’s annual Parish assembly to question council leader Rod Bluh, ward councillors and the town’s two MPs about the development.
After the flooding in 2007, concerned residents asked for reassurance that the development would not mean a repeat performance.
“I cannot think of anything worse than having your house flooded. What happened in 2007 is something we do not want to see repeated,” said Coun Bluh (Con, Dorcan).
“Parts of Covingham were built on a flood plain and we have got to make sure from today that any new houses do not flood or contribute to other houses flooding. We are in a situation now where developments in the future could possibly help sort past problems.
“If the planning committee is not convinced there is not a flood risk it won’t be approved.”
The plans for 7,500 homes form part of the council’s blueprint for the town, called the Core Strategy.
Development chief Coun Peter Greenhalgh (Con, Freshbrook and Grange Park) also reassured residents that there would not be any building on flood plains and the development could provide a new drainage and sewerage system for Covingham, Nythe and the surrounding area.
Residents also voiced concerns about through-traffic and Coun Greenhalgh said any changes to the infrastructure would not be put in place until after building had started.
“I would love to be able to say yes, we will put the infrastructure in first, but the reality is no,” he told the meeting.
“The way developers build out is in chunks and the infrastructure is delivered with the chunks.
“The cost of putting in infrastructure is phenomenally high. I have suggested putting the infrastructure in first should be the approach we should be taking, I would argue all day that is what we should be doing.”
The meeting heard that if the development went ahead it would see around 800 homes being built each year.
Brian Osbourne, chairman of Covingham Parish Council, said: “We will not be able to stop any form of new development because we know there has got to be new development in Swindon.
“What we are asking for is that before you put a brick down get the roads right, get the infrastructure right and sort the flooding issue.”
North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson said: “Development must be in the interests of the town. If it does not stack up and it is not in our interests then we will not do it.”
To view the plans visit www.swindon.gov.uk/corestrategy
Swindon Advertiser 12/04/11
Justin Tomlinson MP, "This was an excellent meeting where residents to both raise concerns, but also help shape the future potential development plans for Swindon.
The new Conservative Government has scrapped Labour's centrally imposed housing targets which would have seen a disgraceful and unstainable 36,000 new houses on Swindon to built in just 20 years, which would have included 12,000 homes for the Eastern Development Area (EDA). Local powers on planning have been returned to local communities, which has allowed Swindon Borough Council to cut the 12,000 houses for the EDA to 7,000.
With powers now restored to local communities it strengthens the hand to address concerns over infrastructure, flooding and traffic, which must be addressed for development to be considered, failure to do so would rightly lead to these plans being opposed.
It is essential that we learn from the mistakes of the last Labour Government who allowed high density, poor quality development to proceed hitting the quality of life of new residents and crucially exisiting residents. Any future development should be both sustainable and to the benefit of the town, anything else would be unacceptable."