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FLOODING

Perry Barr has significant flooding risk, together with a number of properties affected by rising groundwater. In June 2016 about 100 properties were flooded in six locations on a single day of flash-flooding. The worst affected neighbourhood, encompassing Haddon Road and Thornbridge Avenue, was hit by a combination of circumstances caused by highly concentrated rainfall. This included the blockage of the Holbrook drain/river, water running off the motorway and water running down the paved hillsides. Preliminary council investigations suggest that a simultaneous flood, affecting parts of Cardington Ave and Turnberry Road, was caused solely by run-off from the hillside roads and then contributed to the volume of water in the Holbrook. And although this drain was blocked, enough water got through, then, to overwhelm the bunds in Perry Park and Church Road, including the Church Tavern.

OUR WORK

Our work will include the emerging evidence of the causes of this flooding, which in part was caused by large volumes of water coming off the elevated section of the M6 and from the overflowing Holbrook, a partly covered stream running alongside the motorway. The city council has secured funding for a detailed study of the causes of the June 2016 flooding and the potential
for flood prevention. Preliminary conclusions suggest that the volume of local rainfall on that day would have overwhelmed almost any defences, including the drains and sewers.

The neighbourhoods affected:

  • Haddon Road and Thornbridge Avenue sit by the motorway but have also had significant problems of local flooding in recent years;

  • Turnberry Road/Cardington Avenue sits a little further from the motorway and has regular problems of flooding, which in the past have only affected businesses.

Premises;

  • Thornbridge Allotments sits alongside the motorway;

  • Church Road sits over the Holbrook;

  • Raymond Avenue had a localised flood;

  • Croyde Avenue (2 properties) sits west of the Walsall Road towards the top of the hillside;

  • Old Walsall Road sits west of the Walsall Road towards the bottom of the hillside.

Residents have complained of flooding of back gardens and of roadside "springs" appearing for some years. Currently these concerns are greatest on Calshot Road and on Foden Road/Booths Farm Road. In the past Baltimore Road has been badly affected.

An additional neighbourhood affected by surface water flooding in recent years has been Wensleydale Road. Residents attribute this to blocked drains - but water has risen to significant levels in some incidents.

The River Tame flows through Perry Hall Park and the park is managed as a flood plain. There is little evidence of risk from the river in the low-lying parts of the neighbourhood alongside the park.

At the Calshot Road/Walsall Road junction the elevation is 143m. A mile down the road at Perry Avenue/Walsall Road, the elevation is 108m. At the peak of Great Barr, at Barr Beacon, the elevation is 227m. The surface geology of the area is mostly GLACIOLACUSTRINE DEPOSITS, DEVENSIAN - CLAY AND SILT although much of Calshot Road and the line of the motorway are river terrace deposits (sand and gravel), indicating the historic line of flowing water. This makes the area, which was formerly farmland and woodland, particularly fertile. Indeed properties were built with proportionately large gardens during the development of the neighbourhood.

CANOEING

Resident canoeing around by the Beeches pub during the 2016 floods

WHAT WE WILL EXPLORE

Whatever the detail of the final plan, we think the 3Bs area should seek to be designated as a "garden suburb." This will support the aim of making the neighbourhood an attractive and healthy place to live. It will also underpin proposals aimed at reducing flood risk and reducing ground water levels.

Tackling flood risk: we will incorporate ideas for reducing the impact of serious flooding in a development/investment plan for the area.
This might include establishing reservoirs or cattle grid style drainage to capture fast flowing water in high risk areas.

Reducing flood risk and ground water levels:
Recent national policy has recognised the role of the planning system in this. For instance new front drives are required to be permeable while large housing developments must include sustainable drainage. We think the level of risk and the unusual nature of the risk (ie it is not primarily from fast flowing rivers) require unusual steps to enhance the role of planning - backed by community action.

At the beginning of 2016, 66 residents of Calshot and Cramlington Roads took part in a survey conducted by the ward councillors. Almost all reported groundwater problems and many had attempted to install drainage to tackle boggy gardens - but in most cases this had limited success.

The green areas:
Around the high risk areas are some parts of wild land especially between Calshot Road and Mildenhall Road, between Calshot Road and The Rise and between Perry Wood Road and Foden Road.


We will explore designating these areas as micro-parks or community gardens, including the establishment of copses using trees with deep roots. Although quite wild, they have limited tree cover.


Evidence we have gathered of the flow of subterranean water suggests it flows slowly down the hillsides following rainfall. Tree copses will help to soak it up and slow the flow of water during heavy rainfall.


Turnberry Park is an existing green area, sitting mostly between Turnberry Road and the motorway. It has a history of being boggy and development plans should include sustainable drainage.

Planning measures:
A narrow road system and a network of poorly maintained garage tracks mean that residents are anxious to create off road parking facilities at the front of their properties. Similarly the small size of many properties means that residents are often keen to install
extensions and expand their space. These are all measures we wish to support - but to ensure it is done in a sustainable way. The rules on permeable drives have been widely flouted and are probably inadequate in any case. This is particularly noticeable on roads which feed water down the hillsides, such as Calshot Road, Booths Farm Road and Beeches Road.

We want to explore the following:
All planning permissions require householders to contribute to reduction of flood risk and the development of our garden suburb. Measures might include restricting front drives to a fix percentage of non-permeable surface, requiring schemes of planting at the front, restricting paving of rear gardens, installation of sustainable drainage, requiring planting of shrubs; introduction of an article 4 exemption from permitted development to allow the scope of planning permissions to be extended.


None of these measures should be seen as preventing householders from developing their properties. However development must be sustainable. This means there must be compensation for any reduction in the area available to soak up water - and the cumulative effect of many small developments must be reorganised. Other working groups of the Neighbourhood Plan might wish to expand on these provisions to incorporate aspects of design.


These extra planning rules might be controversial. They could only be applied when a homeowner is required to apply for planning permission.

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