Fury at flood street house

Mary Dhonau has written to the city council complaining about the granting of outline planning permission for the house next to 6 Cavendish Street.

"It's on an amber flood plain, for goodness sake, which means it's likely to go under once every 100 years," said Mrs Dhonau, chairman of Worcester Action Against Flooding.

She said it would also be one more house added to the non-return valve, fitted to stop effluent backing up into houses at times of flooding.

"The pumping station isn't due to be built until March 2002 - and it will take a year - so if we're flooded in the meantime, you can only imagine what's going to happen," added Mrs Dhonau.

"The Environment Agency isn't happy, but planning permission has still gone ahead. It's ridiculous."

She said the Association of British Insurers was lobbying the Government to pass legislation forbidding developers to build on flood plains at risk once every 200 years.

"I just can't believe anyone could be so stupid," said Mrs Dhonau, who lives in nearby Waverley Street, which was swamped in November last year.

"They've built numbers two, four and six, and now they want to build number eight. It's ridiculous."

Laura Collins, from the city council's planning department, confirmed permission was granted at a planning committee meeting on Thursday, November 1.

More detailed plans, submitted by builder Robin Van Boxel, who owns number six, are already being looked at.

"It's a single dwelling with access and siting reserved," she said. "But more than that, we can't tell at the moment."

Environment Agency spokeswoman Lyn Fraley said the body had asked for more information before making a comment.

"We need to ensure the development doesn't affect the flood regime," she said.

"That is, that it doesn't affect the behaviour of flood water in that area.

"Normally, we wouldn't advise building on a flood plain, but we'll wait to get the information and then we'll review our position."

n Opinion: P6