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."
