Plans to redevelop the derelict former Manchester Evening News distribution warehouse in Salford have been refused due to it being deemed a flood risk. The proposal was to create a new retail warehouse with 12 business units and car parking for 58 vehicles - bringing more jobs to the area, applicant Joint Investment Power Ltd said.
The Broughton Lane site was partly demolished more than 10 years ago following a fire and it has become overgrown since. It has also been used as a spot for fly tippers to dump their rubbish in the last few years.
The planning statement said that this would create jobs in the local area during the construction period and in shops when the Boughton Trading Estate style site was complete.
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Salford City Council refused the plans on the basis that they did not properly address the flooding risks at the site. This is despite them agreeing the proposal would bring back an unused facility back into use.
“The application site is in an area of high flood risk,” a report said. Once climate change is taken into account, the Environment Agency’s flood model shows that the site would be flooded by 2m in a flood that had a one per cent chance of occurring in any one year by the 2080s.
“There are substantial risks of flooding to users of the development and to stock. The predicted flood depths are such that almost all stock stored on the ground floor would be destroyed.
“No safe refuge can be provided within the units and a full evacuation prior to any flood event would be the only means to ensure safety. The applicant seeks an approach where a flood resilient building would receive water during such an event and be managed by a Flood Emergency Management Plan.
“The proposal does not adequately manage the risks associated with flooding to the development.”
Health and safety of those who would visit the site was also something that was a concern for the council. The officers report highlights the failure to maximise the design of the new development in order to better the way people move through it.
The report states that the potential conflict between pedestrian and nearby road users alongside access to the car park has not been fully addressed. It was because of this and the flood risks that the application was refused.
