Christoph: Bellway defends scheme built on Northwich flood plain

As residents and businesses across town were affected by horrendous flooding last Thursday, Bellway construction workers continued on-site with the 227-home Rose Meadow development.

A number of readers contacted the Guardian with images overlooking the site, between Langley Road and the River Dane, with the area seemingly surrounded by floodwater.

Chris Harris told the Guardian: “Bellway Homes is building a development on the River Dane flood plains and it will only lead to heartbreak for buyers of these homes.”

The Bellway development to the left, with flooding near the Dane Valley to the right. Image: Jill Denton

Jill Denton added: “How did they ever get permission to build on Dane Valley?

“The Dane is lethal at the best of times.”

How did the scheme get approval?

Cheshire West and Chester Council granted outline planning permission for a development of up to 242 homes on the land back in 2014.

This meant that development could take place on the land once a reserved matters application, with more detailed design elements, was approved by the council.

Two years later, a reserved matters application for 188 homes on the site was approved by CWAC, while the project was included in the council’s local plan – its blueprint for where houses can be built.

The project was thrown into doubt when David Wilson Homes pulled out, before Bellway stepped in with a new reserved matters application for 227 homes.

This was turned down by CWAC’s planning committee in May 2018 – against the recommendation of the council’s officers – but on the grounds of design issues.

Neighbouring areas were badly affected at the Dane Valley. Image: Jill Denton

While councillors were able to raise issues about the flood risk, it was too late to use it as a reason for refusing the application.

At that meeting, Cllr Eleanor Johnson said: “This is why I do not like outline planning applications. They come back to bite you.”

When Bellway appealed the decision in 2019, the Planning Inspectorate was unable to consider the issue of flood risk because outline permission had already been granted, and the 2018 refusal on design grounds was overturned.

Along with other areas of Northwich, the surrounding area was hit by flooding in autumn 2019, and the issue came back to light following last week’s heavy downpours.

Last July, vandals defaced a sign at the Rose Meadow development to rename it ‘Flood Meadow’, adding that the scheme would be ‘flooding soon’.

What does Bellway say?

Bellway insists the project is suitable – with the scheme being built on raised ground, meaning the homes are not expected to be hit by flooding in future, even if the Dane bursts its banks.

Vandals defaced a sign last year to brand the scheme 'Flood Meadow'

A Bellway spokesman said: “Following the recent flooding in Northwich as a result of Storm Christoph, we can confirm that our housing development at Rose Meadow was not flooded due to the significant engineering works done to lift the development above the floodplain, thereby preventing the nearby River Dane from affecting Bellway properties.

“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.

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“The development has received approval from the local authority and the Environment Agency, with the engineering works designed to prevent flooding to Bellway properties on the development.

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