An Isle of Wight councillor says his business keeps flooding due to a new housing estate – but the developer says it is “not aware” of any issues.
“I wanted to throw the towel in” Cllr Matthew Price, who owns Prices Garage in Newport, said after his business was hit yet again by flash flooding after heavy rainfall on 29th August.
He says the Pan Meadows housing estate’s flood mitigation scheme is “not working properly” and the Pan Stream Bridge system is “entirely inadequate” and believes they are behind the flooding, which is causing “endless damage”.
Barratt Homes, the developer that built Pan Meadows, has said it is “not aware” of “any issues” with its drainage system. Cllr Price, Fairlee and Whippingham’s Conservative representative, arrived at his “completely flooded premises” at 05:30 that day and stood there thinking:
“I don’t know if can carry on, really”.
Prices Garage, which has been operating for decades, has flooded multiple times since 2013, resulting in a “loss of earnings, insurance costs trebled” and flood cover no longer being available to the firm.
Cllr Price has spoken out in part to thank his employees for “cracking on” and “doing everything” they could to get the garage back up and running.
But he also wanted to highlight what he believes is the flooding’s cause:
“There’s no doubt at all that it is related to that housing estate because all of the (water) attenuation ponds that are behind are empty.
“And they were empty on the day that we were flooded – when I stood in a foot of water. Every time we get substantial rain, unless the drainage system or the flood mitigation system from Pan Meadows is made to work, we’re just going to continue to get flooded.
“My question to the developer is why are those ponds empty – if they’re there for rainfall attenuation then why aren’t they full up with water in the event of a flood incident?
“If they haven’t implemented the drainage scheme correctly, then it’s not just my premises that will flood, eventually it will be other properties nearby.”
A spokesperson at Barratt David Wilson Homes Southampton Division said:
“We recognise how difficult flooding can be for residents and businesses. The drainage system at Bluebell Meadows and St George’s Gate was designed with Southern Water, approved by the Isle of Wight Council, and works by holding back rainwater during storms before releasing it safely into local streams.
“We are not aware of any issues and will continue working with Southern Water and the council to ensure it operates as intended.”
An Isle of Wight Council spokesperson said:
“We are sorry to hear of these types of situations and do not underestimate the significant impacts flooding causes to Island residents and businesses.
“We are working with the affected party, Barratt Homes and other stakeholders to investigate the implemented systems for managing surface water and to ascertain if they are working as they should.
“The outcome of this will then shape any next steps and the provider responsible for completing any works.
For those concerned or affected by flooding, useful information is available on the council’s website at https://www.iow.gov.uk/keep-the-island-safe/severe-weather/flooding/.
didn’t flood before the estate was built – now it floods – therefore the estate is the problem and they owe compensation to prices
The same will happen with Penny feathers, water can’t soak in, so it runs down the hill straight away, too much water too quickly.
Too many people, too much tarmac.
That is so true.
Prices and their team are good people and a great asset for the Island. The least the Council should do is fund an independent hydrological review and force Barratt’s to act on the findings.
Christ southern water had something to do with it !!! they most probably found another way of pumping s**** out of it
Nothing to worry about the Numpties are talking about
building thousands of more homes on the island.
Best thing to do is if they require more housing,
stop building on cliff edges, build in the centre of the island,
build 8-10 storey high apartment blocks, make use of
air space, otherwise there will be no empty land left.
Are you aware that Pan Meadows is right in the middle of the Island, about as far from cliffs as you can get?
If a pro-active IW Councillor cannot get something done about the flooding of his premises then what chance does anyone else have?
IF a IW Councillor cannot get something done about this then what hope is there for the general public in the same situation?
Drainage and water run-off should be part of the consideration by the Planning Committee when permission to build is sought.
Thre is undoubtedly a strategic fault with this development and good luck getting them to address it, more relevsant when were the local gullies last unblocked and emptied, knowing the council after the flooding, the crews probably could not go out because they had DEI training or a union brain washing meeting or were waiting for a risk assessment to see if it was safe for them to go out in rainy, windy weather.
Pan estate newport best place for it is underwater