Environment Agency
ISSUE 9
Environment Agency representations to Inspector Draft
Programme dated 11 March 2013.
Author: Michael Holm, Sustainable Places Advisor – Wessex Area
Dated 05 April 2013
ISSUE 9:
Ilminster
Questions –
9.1 Is the vision and the proposal for growth and change in this area appropriate and
justified, including in relation to national guidance and local needs, and in terms
of economic, social and environmental impact? Is it founded on an appropriate
sustainability appraisal and has appropriate consideration been given to issues
of agricultural land value, topography/ /landscape, flood risk, biodiversity,
highway impact, and archaeology?
Environment Agency representation:
The principles of Climate Change Policy EQ1 should prevent inappropriate
development being located in the Flood Risk areas through the application of
National Planning Policy Framework’s Sequential Test.
We consider that there will be an engineering solution to the management of surface
water within the strategic allocations to prevent increasing flood risk to the
downstream catchment. This will need to be demonstrated within site specific flood
risk assessments.