Ms Jenny Barker
Cherwell District Council
Planning and Development Services
Bodicote House White Post Road
Bodicote
Banbury
OX15 4AA

	
Our ref:	WA/2013/114151/01-L01
Your ref:	06/00967/OUT

Date:		20 February 2013

Dear Ms Barker

RESERVED MATTERS (OUTLINE APPLICATION 06/00967/OUT) - APPEARANCE, LANDSCAPING, SCALE AND ACCESS COMPRISING RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT FOR 141 NO. DWELLINGS   
KM7 & KM9 SOUTH WEST BICESTER DEVELOPMENT SITE MIDDLETON STONEY ROAD BICESTER OXFORDSHIRE 
     
Thank you for consulting us on this matter. We received the letter on 07 February 2013 and we are now in a position to respond.

Environment Agency position

In the absence of an acceptable Flood Risk Assessment (FRA) we object to the grant of planning permission and recommend refusal on this basis for the following reasons:
 
Reason

The FRA submitted with this application does not comply with the requirements set out in paragraph 9 of the Technical Guide to the National Planning Policy Framework. The submitted FRA does not therefore, provide a suitable basis for assessment to be made of the flood risks arising from the proposed development.

In particular, the submitted FRA fails to:

•	Comply with the Kingsmere Design Code requirements of taking a hierarchical approach to Sustainable Drainage (SUDs) source control measures.

Overcoming our objection

A drainage strategy for the whole site has been approved and although this report undertaken by RPS confirms that this current reserved matters application is compliant with the development wide WSP Drainage Strategy we do not consider that it is compliant with the Kingsmere Design Code requirements. 

Within section 3.2 of the Design Code a hierarchy approach to Sustainable Drainage (SUDs) source control measures is specified. This includes techniques such as permeable surfaces within highways and private drives. 

While ground conditions prevent the use of infiltration techniques permeable surfaces provide an important water quality improvement treatment measure which should be included within this development parcel. 

Further Advice to LPA

We are is discussion with the developers engineering consultants in connection with this application and they have stated that they will provide updates to the LPA to ensure any additional information is made available to support the application.   

Yours sincerely,

Mr Jack Moeran
Planning Liaison Officer

Direct dial 01491 828367
Direct e-mail planning-wallingford@environment-agency.gov.uk

cc WSP