Northwich MP urges Government to ban development on floodplains

It comes as Bellway has defended its controversial Rose Meadow development in the Dane Valley this week, despite images of the site being surrounded by flood water following Storm Christoph.

Mike Amesbury has written to Robert Jenrick, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, urging him to ‘hard wire’ a complete ban on building on flood plains into the current proposed planning reforms now going through Parliament.

He said: "This project has been a huge source of concern for some time and once again we’ve seen real world evidence of why the government should not allow construction on areas at risk of flooding.

“I’ve been talking to residents and businesses right around Weaver Vale this past week and heard first-hand the absolute misery this flooding has brought to our constituency.

“The government needs to look at the situation again and change its policy as a matter of urgency.”

Rose Meadow was given outline planning approval by Cheshire West and Chester Council in 2014, and while a reserved matters application was later rejected by CWAC's planning committee in 2018, this decision was overturned at appeal.

The project has been criticised in the past – being branded 'Flood Meadow' by vandals last year – and Mr Amesbury has been handed drone footage of the development being surrounded by flood water last week.

Weaver Vale MP Mike Amesbury

A number of Northwich residents spoke to Mr Amesbury with their concerns.

Alan Redley said: “As a local resident, I have seen the River Dane flood here five times over the last decade.

“When the River Dane floods, the level rises very quickly and last week rose by three metres and surpassed the highest level previously recorded.”

John Wooldridge added: "The plain is to protect Northwich town centre from water coming down from the Derbyshire Hills and the Pennines.

“If the Dane Valley had not flooded the town centre would have to cope with even greater volumes of water. The other problems with the River Dane are that it is fast flowing, has significant meanders and has eroded crumbling banks.

“All worrying issues when you consider the development is 100 metres away.”

The Guardian contacted Bellway earlier this week, after readers supplied images of work continuing on the site last week while Storm Christoph battered Northwich.

A Bellway spokesman said: "Both the access road and the development area have been raised well above the floodplain and, despite record river levels, this performed as designed, and construction on site continued.

"These measures were effective during the recent storms and have placed no additional impact on the surrounding area."