On 27 Nov 2012 at 10:49am Clifford wrote:
'Local authorities are continuing to allow tens of thousands of houses to be built on floodplains, despite a growing risk of flooding as climate change takes hold, according to a report from the government's climate adviser.'
Check it out here »
On 27 Nov 2012 at 8:14pm Fairmeadow wrote:
I often agree with you Clifford, but not on this. But houses have to be built somewhere, and a protected floodplain in the middle of a highly sustainable town is a better bet than parking them out in the countryside.
Check out East Sussex in Figures. Households in Lewes & Ringmer have pretty much the same median household income, but those in Ringmer have twice as many cars. 30% of Lewes households manage without a car compared to 15% in Ringmer (and in Ringmer they are overwhelmingly people too old to drive any more). 20% of Lewes households have two or more cars, compared to over 40% in Ringmer.
And Ringmer is only 3 miles from Lewes, with a good bus service. Doubtless even worse in Plumpton, Barcombe, Chailey, Newick, etc, where distances are further, bus services worse and incomes higher.
If you ask any estate agent they will tell you that Lewes is where people want to live, and if you look at the transport options it is obvious why.
On 28 Nov 2012 at 11:58am Ratty wrote:
What's your definition of a 'protected floodplain'? You can't get rid of the water. All the environment agency can do is protect certain areas that are deemed the most valuable, but the excess water has to go somewhere. If you really don't want Lewes to flood again, treble the width and depth of the river (including in the town centre and through Cliffe bridge) to deal with the 1 in 80-100 year events, which may become more frequent. Or stick in the most enormous dam upstream of Lewes, the water would then annihilate Barcombe Mills and Isfield.
On 28 Nov 2012 at 1:06pm Taff wrote:
Ratty, the Ouse is tidal. Making it wider and deeper will be of little effect.
Surely designing dwellings for flood plains is not impossible. Inconvenient maybe at the time but there has to be a compromise somewhere.
On 28 Nov 2012 at 2:44pm IMEYOU wrote:
Build the houses on stilts simples
On 30 Nov 2012 at 11:41am stevet wrote:
Yes, build houses on stilts, or have garages etc on the ground floor - its not too difficult to mitigate against the risk, although it does add to the cost of development
On 30 Nov 2012 at 7:29pm brixtonbelle wrote:
Houses on stilts - or houses with garages and utility rooms on ground floor would be a good solution. But would that make them unaffordable ? Or maybe small blocks (like a three storey town house ?) of 1-2 bed flats, none of which would be ground level, and all affordable for locals ? The other criteria has to be the includion of plenty of green space and shrub/tree planting for riverside areas to help bind the riverbanks and underlying marshier areas.
it would be good if any development included cheap rental units for small businesses/ shops to encourage small scale producers, independents and new start-ups. Rather like a covered market ? A good example is in my old neighbourhood - parts of Brixton market were run down and unlet. They've encouraged a scheme of short term and cheap rental units and that part of the market has been rejuvenated with small cafe's, clothes shops, design/ craft shops, etc etc. (And before anyone says butchers and grocers, haberdashers etc - there was already an abundance of these types of market shop) .
I know Lewes already has similar with Riverside and Needlemakers, but I understand these spaces are still quite expensive - I'm talking even cheaper rents and business rates. I would have thoughts also some sort of provision be made for those businesses already there who are need the larger spaces for workshops, storage and arts spaces.
On 6 Dec 2012 at 8:25am rivergal wrote:
Taff get out a bit more and look at what is happening to the river outside Lewes. The Ouse and Adur Rivers Trust have a huge project to put back the meanders in the river at Sharpsbridge and Sheffield Park and have planted over a hundred trees to form a wetland and to slow down the river water. Another meander will be put back at Buxted and water meadows planned for Barcome on the Bevern Stream. WE cannot stop the heavy rains predicted by climate change but we can put the river back to what it was before canalisation. By the way volunteers are always welcome.