New park and ride site puts Bath at risk

19 March 2009

Something isn't quite right; Cllr Gerrish talking about a 1 in a 1000 chance of a flood while, if he'd been standing at the edge of the proposed site last week water would have been gently lapping over the top of his wellies. But that's not the point; so what if the car park fills up with water occasionally and can't be used, or at worst someone has to punt their car home?

The real point is that the meadow, adjacent to the submerged area, cannot do what it does best; absorb rainwater and hold onto it instead of allowing it to run straight into the swollen River Avon during a flood and on into Bath.

There is a conflict with respect to the proposed ¿porous¿ parking surface. On the one hand BANES say that water will be absorbed by it, on the other they say it will stop fuel oils from seeping into the river. They can’t have both. Any capability that the surface has to absorb water will reduce with time as it clogs with dirt.

With respect to the Environment Agency data, it’s under constant review and with each review forecast flood zones tend to increase in size. An allowance of around 20% is currently made for predicted climate change over the next 100 years. It’s not that long ago that that no allowance was made. The EA are currently revisiting and raising flood defences nationally. Even the Thames barrier is being reviewed as it has become apparent during its relatively short life, that it won’t be adequate in the future. It seems daft to build immediately adjacent to a known flood zone and threaten to increase flood levels in Bath when alternatives are available.

Letter by Mark Stephens, published in the Bath Chronicle