Report on flooding in Tewkesbury last year

Interesting report
here
on why the flooding in Tewkesbury in 2007 has led the National Flood Forum and Severn and Avon Valley Combined Flood Group to give reasons why there should be no further building on flood plains. Very interesting to see the predictions of government agencies about where flooding would be expected to take place and where it actually took place. Also really interesting to see the state of the floodwater channels which existed in the town and why they didn't do their job.

The report says that local communities are experts on flooding in their areas and they are not routinely consulted when decisions are made.

Tesco in Barnstaple

VERY interesting post on the Tesco planning application in Barnstaple here.

Insurers demand action on floods

Check out this link to the BBC website here

which includes the following statements:

However, Environment Minister Phil Woolas said it was unfair to suggest that nothing had changed."A huge amount of work has been going on since the floods of last year, by the Environment Agency and local authorities, to put in place flood defence programmes," he said.

He said that both the agency and councils were now using their powers to restrict building on flood plains.Also, the government announced last month that it would bring forward a Flood Bill to give the Environment Agency and councils more powers to prevent flooding.

But the ABI warned that what were once freak incidents are now becoming commonplace. It said not enough was known about the real threat of flooding, whether it be from rivers, drains, or the sea. And it pointed out that two-thirds of last year's flooding came from surface water or sewage flooding.

Restricting building on flood plains? New one on me.

Racal site

Good to hear from the owners of the Racal site that they are demolishing because they will have a planning application in soon. Particularly glad that their reason isn't that ,under the new legislation, the site will attract business rates if it has an empty building on it but no business rates if there is no building on it.

Update

News from Tesco to the Seaton community: Nothing
News from Sainsbury to the Seaton community: Nothing
News from East Devon District Council to the Seaton community: Nothing
News from Seaton Town Council to the Seaton community: Nothing
Useful news in local newspapers: Nothing

Ever felt that the Seaton community is invisible!

Difficult planning applications usually go in just before a public holiday or school holidays to cut down the time people have to respond. What's the betting that there will be one in mid-July (or like Liatris - at Christmas!).

What does our MP think - depends on who you think our MP is

Our current MP is Hugo Swire contact information here

HOWEVER, at the next General Election, the constituencies are changing. Hugo Swire stays responsible for Sidmouth, Exmouth and a new bit of Exeter and Seaton and Axminster join the Tiverton and Honiton constituency. Currently this constituency's MP is Angela Browning contact information here.

HOWEVER, she is retiring at the next General Election and the person who has been chosen by the Conservative Party to contest the seat is Neil Parish.

HOWEVER, Neil Parish is currently a full-time MEP in Brussels and will presumably not resign that seat until he has to fight a General Election contact information here.

So, Hugo Swire, who will not depend on the Seaton and Axminster area for votes at the next election and who will have no responsibility whatsoever for our area then is currently our MP, Angela Browning will not depend on votes from the Seaton and Axminster area at the next election as she is retiring but Neil Parish WILL depend on Seaton and Axminster for votes but he is a full-time MEP!

Dawlish and Tesco - Part 2

It would seem that the campaign to get information from Tesco about their plans for Dawlish ran into some trouble, with Tesco saying that the campaigners would be removed from Tesco's mailing list for asking some questions - it's hard to tell from the page exactly what Tesco were complaining about but read about it here. You really must read it.

After some exchange of correspondence (not detailed on the web page) the following appears at the end and is taken by the camapaigners as being an apology from Tesco. What do you think?

One of our members got this today (22nd Feb). A response to his complaint about Mel C & her merry band!

"I have looked into what happened on 6/7 December. Where strong feelings are displayed it is easy for emotions to come to the surface and it seems to me that this may have been the case on this occasion and on both sides. Melanie Chiswell is a senior and respected member of my team and, it is true to say, that she did face some considerable personal animosity demonstrated against her at the time and subsequently. I am sorry if the behaviour of a minority of people affected my team's approach to the many other people who came along to engage in a calm and constructive manner"

Adam Jackson, Public Policy Director, Tesco, Cheshunt.

It would appear that Mr Jackson's name and designation is one to remember for the future.