Clash over flood defence plan

Senior council members have slated the Environment Agency's proposed strategy to clear the flood plain of buildings as 'lacking technical or economic foundation'.

Meanwhile, the Agency's chief officer in Sussex, Peter Midgley, has challenged Wealden to show 'leadership' in wiping out Uckfield's industrial estate or face seeing 'flooding, disruption and possibly death' in the town.

In a letter sent to Mr Midgley, on December 4, WDC portfolio holder for built environment Jack Gore said Wealden's cabinet had rejected the Agency's strategy to clear the flood plain effectively demolishing buildings near to the River Uck, including those on the Bellbrook Industrial Estate and added that the Agency had failed to provide any costings to back up the proposal.

He said: 'The cabinet carefully considered the material available and rejected restoration of the Uck flood plain as the long-term solution to flooding in the area, unless it could be demonstrated that restoration is achievable and the best economic solution.'

In his reply Mr Midgley said: 'It is simply not possible to provide flood defences for the centre of Uckfield for a rainfall event of any significant size.

'A consequence is that insurance cover will be withdrawn and companies/the business park will eventually fail. Restoration of the flood plain is the only sustainable way to avoid business failure in Uckfield.

'It is only by leadership from Wealden District Council that we will avoid this. It will be expensive and need leadership to avoid flooding, disruption and possibly death linked to business failure.'

In a second letter last week Cllr Gore described Mr Midgley's comments as 'alarming' and said the council 'strongly disagreed.'

He said he believed local people recognised Wealden very clearly as the organisation demonstrating leadership in the issue.

'The fact that we disagree with your strategy on the basis that it appears to have no technical or economic foundation should not be interpreted as a lack of leadership.

The council had not ruled out flood plain restoration but such a strategy 'cannot be adopted without clear evidence that it is affordable and achievable, evidence which does not appear in your Uck/Ouse Strategy Statement.'