Supplementary Planning Document

Severn and Avon have been very concerned that developers are able to put extreme pressure on the Tewkesbury Borough Council to favour planning applications for large developments in inappropriate areas liable to flooding or influence flooding, consequently we have written the featured Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) to help combat this pressure and asked the TBC to adopt it.

The purpose of this SPD is to set out the Council’s commitment to minimising flood risk, from the largest floodplain in the country, managing surface water and achieving sustainable drainage principles in new and existing developments whilst ensuring that the re-use and recycling of water is given priority. This approach is in addition to and enhances Planning Policy Statement (PPS) 25: Development and Flood Risk (2006) that emphasizes, “All forms of flooding and their impact on the natural and built environment are material considerations”.

Adoption of this SPD will mean that its provision will become a material consideration in the determination of planning applications, adding further strength and detail to the existing adopted Local Plan policies (Env17, Env18, Env19 and Res4). Early use of this document in the design process is therefore essential.