The main modifications to the Draft Brent Local Plan have attracted little or no publicity or comment but they are of interested and can be found HERE.
Of particularly interest to me are the impact of some of the development plans for Wembley (including KwikFit/Asda,Torch; Stadium Retail Park, McDonalds,Fountain Studios; Premier Inn, Brook Avenue) in terms of infrastucture improvments needed for waste water and flood mitigation. The Wealdstone Brook flows through this area so some of it is susceptible to fluvial (river) flooding as well as surface water flooding.
These are some of the modifications that have been made (March 2020) regarding infrastructure and indicate a substantial amount of work to de done with Thames Water and developers, as well as the Environment Agency.
Thames Water has indicated the local water network capacity in this area may be unable to support the demand anticipated from this development. Upgrades to the wastewater network are likely to be required. Thames Water will need to be engaged at the earliest opportunity to agree a housing and infrastructure phasing plan to ensure essential infrastructure is delivered prior to the development creating identified additional capacity requirements.
Waste water facilities enhancement Thames Water has indicated the scale of development is likely to require upgrades to the wastewater network. Thames Water will need to be engaged at the earliest opportunity to agree a housing and infrastructure phasing plan to ensure essential infrastructure is delivered prior to the development creating identified additional capacity requirements.
Thames Water has indicated the local water network capacity in this area may be unable to support the demand anticipated from this development. Upgrades to the wastewater network are likely to be required. Thames Water will need to be engaged at the earliest opportunity to agree a housing and infrastructure phasing plan to ensure essentialinfrastructure is delivered prior to the development creating identified additional capacity requirements. Public sewers cross or are close to the site. The risk of damage during construction must be minimised. It must be ensured that development doesn't inhibit access for maintenance or the services in any other way
A critical trunk sewer runs through this site which would need to be considered.
Thames Water has indicated the local water network capacity in this area may be unable to support the demand anticipated from this development. Upgrades to the wastewater network are likely to be required. Thames Water will need to be engaged at the earliest opportunity to agree a housing and infrastructure phasing plan to ensure essential infrastructure is delivered prior to the development creating identified additional capacity requirements. Risk of damage to the trunk sewer during construction must be minimised. It must be ensured that development doesn't inhibit access for maintenance or the services in any other way.
The site is located within an area which is susceptible to groundwater flooding. There are also small areas within the site which are susceptible to surface water flooding. The majority of the site is located within an area which is susceptible to sewer flooding. A flood risk assessment will need to address how development satisfactorily addresses these matters.
Wembley Brook and River Brent are potential sources of flooding and the majority of the site is within Flood Zone 3. Part of the site is within including extensive flood zone 3b (functional floodplain). Development, other than water compatible uses, will not be acceptable within functional floodplain. Any flood modelling from applicants which seeks to justify a revision to the functional floodplain boundary will need to be agreed by the Environment Agency.
More vulnerable uses should be restricted to areas of lowest flood risk and on upper floors. Ground floors should be designed to be resistant and resilient to flood risk. Basement dwellings will not be acceptable on the site. Development must be informed by a detail Flood Risk Assessment and Drainage Strategy, reduce flood risk overall and not increase the risk of flooding on adjoining sites. Development must be consistent with the recommendations of the Brent Strategic Flood Risk Assessment Level 2.
Of course there are also issues in other parts of Brent such as Stonebridge (Argenta House, Wembley Point), Neasden Stations, Growth Area, South Kilburn & Alperton).
The document below (March 2020) provides detailed assessments for Stonebridge Park/Unisys (p17) Coombe Road (p23), Watkin Road (p30), Argenta House/Wembley Point (p37), Brooke Avenue (p44), College of NW London - Wembley Campus (p51), Turpins Yard (p58), Park Avenue Garage (p64) Hereford & Exeter House (p70), Neasden Station Growth Area 1(p76), 2 (p82), 3 (p88), Neasden Lane (Press Rd) p94, Stadium Retails Park/Fountain Studios (p100) and Queensbury LSIS/Morrisons (p108)
A summary of all schemes is provided at the end of the report.
Click bottom right corner to enlarge:
2 comments:
Best Climate Action practice from Government (at all levels) would be to keep the River Brent clean, healthy and open above ground and not to incrementally culvert it underground and deregulate it eventually to being yet another Thames tributary river cancelled as being a sewer.
The hills, vales and river systems of London are impossible to by magical thinking (or cakeism) simply re-designate away from being the actual living environment that they are. Escalating Climate Emergency Thames Water ( bonus and dividends boosterism) is happy also to profit (where it can get away with it) from supplying more and more water to Brent extreme over development revenue farmed exclusion zones in the river vales of Brent, Government and council happy to aim to disappear all rivers for profit too, but should the costs of this new opportunist adventure overloading inadequate Victorian drainage infrastructure be entirely passed on to continuously flooded buildings (old and new) in the form of massively increased household living costs?
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is to be applauded for the way that in their Strategic Flood Risk Strategy, the River Westbourne right from its source is identified as being that boroughs second main flood risk, which proved correct in October 2021 when this entombed river flooded Knightsbridge. I guess this no to environmental denial RBKC approach shares liability with the other 3 boroughs upstream and keeps the responsibility for negligence firmly also on Thames Water and the Environment Agency?
For Wembley their seems to be some forward flood mitigation action plan by Brent at least forming and being pledged? "Basement dwellings will not be acceptable" is interesting as Brent vale growth zone livers also have to watch out for underground car parks. South Kilburn floodplain extreme over development is wild for building underground car parks underneath blocks as supplementary developer revenue 'streams' being built this among the underground rivers! What could possibly go wrong?
Essentially agreed with above comment and Thames 21 also would approve of opening more culverts - and keeping the River Brent clean.
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