Sponsored by
Flood levy for town supermarket?
A NEW national scheme could be used to help fund Morpeth's future flood defences, it has been claimed.
Plans for a new supermarket by Dransfield Properties in Low Stanners were recently given outline planning permission and it is looking for a company to come on board.
Meanwhile, a Community Infrastructure Levy which enables councils to get top-up funding for important projects from firms carrying out major developments in its area gained parliamentary approval earlier this year – with the powers coming into force in April.
Now Morpeth Town councillor David Parker has said that if a supermarket giant takes up the site, consideration should be given to levying it for a contribution towards Morpeth's flood alleviation scheme.
Speaking at a meeting of the authority's Planning and Transport Committee, he said: "This has already been applied in Hereford, where Asda contributed 2m to the flood defence scheme as part of the planning conditions for a supermarket in the town, as well as constructing 440 metres of flood defence.
"It was a shame that this levy was not raised at the county council planning meeting to determine the supermarket applications and I would like to see the council bring up this matter with the planning officers at County Hall.
"If a supermarket is built there, having a contribution to the flood alleviation scheme as a result would be some comfort to Morpeth residents."
In response, town and county councillor Ian Lindley said: "We need to be careful here and take into account the cost of developing the site.
"If we started to demand even more, we could risk making the site unavailable to companies."
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Morpeth
Wednesday 30 May 2012
Today
Light showers
Temperature: 10 C to 16 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Light rain
Temperature: 8 C to 14 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North east
