News

08/02/2010

Success as Elvet Waterside plans dropped

Picture of Flash

Roberta has said that today's news that the plans to develop Elvet Waterside in Durham City have been dropped is a campaigning success.

  

Roberta said


"I have been working alongside the Elvet Residents' Group for some time now to highlight the deficiencies in the plans for Elvet Waterside which included building on the existing bowling green.  Many local people were unhappy with the proposals and I am very pleased that they have now been dropped.


"This will give the developers the chance to go back to the drawing board and come up with plans which are more in keeping with the surroundings and which better preserve the open green space which we don't want to lose.  I am hoping to be able to support the next set of plans, but they must make sure they take into account Durham's heritage, the very close proximity of the site to the River Wear, and the desire of local people to maintain as much green space in the City as possible.

  

"Any future plans will also have to take note of the provisions of the Flood and Water Management Bill which is currently going through Parliament.  This Bill adds restrictions on building on green spaces which contribute to a river's floodplain.  During the passage of the Bill through Committee in the House of Commons I raised the issue of Elvet Waterside because I wanted to ensure that it benefits from flood risk management not only because it is on the floodplain adjacent to the river but because it relies on the leisure space and bowling green that provide a part of the floodplain. [See Note 1]

  

"I was grateful to receive reassurances from the Minister on this point, and I think any new development will now certainly have to take those very real issues into consideration when planning applications are made."

  

  

NOTES

 

1.                  Roberta's contribution to the committee stage debate on the Bill on this specific issue is available in full here http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200910/cmpublic/floodandwater/100119/pm/100119s07.htm

 

 

Back to News | News Archive