Land between West Street, Bath Street, Royal Pier Road and Queen ...

should help to build on the town’s history and attract visitors. The significant role that the provisionof a hub of restaurants within the Eastern Quarter can play in stimulating the evening economyand attracting families to the town is also recognised and welcomed. The provision of a hotel canalso play a positive role in drawing additional visits.Flood Risk and Surface Water DrainageWhilst much of the application site is sufficiently elevated to ensure no risk of tidal flooding fromthe River Thames, the northern parts of the site, particularly along West Street, rely on existingflood defences to afford adequate protection. Since the objectives of the development could not beachieved if it was sited elsewhere, officers are satisfied that the requirements of the sequential testare met; and furthermore that the exception test is met since the land is previously developed andthe scheme will generate sustainability and regenerative benefits. The key test is therefore that thedevelopment is safe.The existing flood defences are sufficient to protect the sites from a 1 in 1,000 year flood eventand therefore only St Andrews Gardens, which lies on the river side of the defence and comprisesonly landscaping proposals, would experience tidal flooding from anything other than an extremeflooding event.However, given the importance afforded to protecting human life it is necessary to consider thepotential effects of an actual breach in the defences coinciding with an extreme flood, and theproposed development therefore excludes vulnerable uses at street level along West Street as aresponse to this constraint by proposing car parking as a practical design solution.The Environment Agency has accepted that the floor levels of the proposed residential and retailelements of the scheme (at not less than 7.0m AOD) would ensure they remain adequatelyprotected and subsequently that their users would not be at risk from tidal flooding. However theenclosed parking along West Street may experience flooding, but this risk can be adequatelymitigated through a Flood Management Plan, which will ensure that the developer signs up to theEnvironment Agency’s flood warning system and provides suitable safe escape routes.In the unlikely event of a flood, the impacts will also be mitigated by the incorporation of floodresilient design techniques and materials and the above matters can all be sufficientlysafeguarded through planning conditions.Impacts of flooding are not solely restricted to tidal flooding though, as surface water flooding canoccur if adequate drainage is not incorporated into new developments which can undermine thefunctionality and accessibility of a development, as well as increase the risk of flooding elsewhere.This is particularly relevant in the context of climate change and within urban environment where asignificant amount of hardstanding exists. Furthermore Southern Water Services have advisedthat there is currently inadequate capacity in the local network to serve the proposed development.The applicant has therefore prepared a drainage strategy for the application site which principallyincorporates permeable paving to direct surface water in to underground attenuation tanks whichwill in turn control run-off rates of water and avoid saturating the ground and giving rise to surfacewater flooding, even in extreme rainfall conditions. The strategy also includes the incorporation ofgreen roofs and swales that can collect and store rainwater, with the added benefit of improvingthe quality of the water upon discharge. The latter can also provide an opportunity forenhancement of the soft landscaping proposals as part of the overall sustainable urban drainagesystem. Full details of the proposed drainage strategy will be required through planning condition.In addition to surface water disposal, Southern Water Services has advised that upgrades toexisting infrastructure will be required to ensure an adequate water supply and foul sewerage