Warning Given Over Flood Risk of Gurnell Plan
Council says underground car park provides extra capacity for flood water
Flooding at Gurnell in 2022. Picture: Save Gurnell
June 20, 2024
With the deadline approaching for comments on the proposal for the redevelopment of the Gurnell Leisure centre site, a local environmental charity is claiming it could cause increased flooding in the area.
The Brent River & Canal Society (BRCS) believes the plan, which would see 295 flats in blocks up to ten storeys high and a new leisure centre built, would endanger properties close to the River Brent.
The BRCS is opposed to any reduction in floodplain volume and, therefore, to any increase in hard standing in the Brent River Park which it regards as a critical component of Ealing’s flood defences. The green spaces by the river between Hanger Lane and the Wharncliffe Viaduct regularly flood after heavy rain absorbing and retain the surge of water that would otherwise swell the river. It claims the reduction of floodplain volume resulting from the construction of the flats will increase flood risk for homes in Perivale, Pitshanger, Greenford and Hanwell. Most of the Gurnell area is already classed as ‘functional floodplain’ by the Environment Agency and the site flooded as recently as 2022.
It adds that the land earmarked for development is protected by national, London-wide and Ealing Council’s own environmental and planning policies.
The Flood Risk Assessment submitted as part of Ealing Council’s planning application acknowledges that the development would mean a reduction in floodplain storage. To mitigate this the proposal is to implement a series of warning systems and an underground car park at the leisure centre which is designed to flood. In the event of a flood, vehicles would be removed and the car park would effectively become a flood storage tank with the water being pumped out once the risk of flooding had receded.
The BRCS describes this solution as “disappointingly unrealistic and ill-thought-out” and a very high-risk strategy that places a huge reliance on technology and adequate warning.
It points out that the severe rainfall that took place in July 2021 was not forecast and, in the event of a sudden downpour, the choice may be between flooding the car park with vehicles still inside or sealing it off and diverting the water towards nearby homes and businesses.
Visualisation of the new centre and housing from planning documents
The council’s Flood Risk Assessment also claims that there is risk to neighbouring properties on Peal Gardens and that a “marginal increase of up to 30mm” could be “contained within back gardens”. The BRCS points out that this height of flood water could still get into some homes.
The BRCS also argues that, even if Ealing Council believes these risks to be acceptable now, climate change may mean that the frequency and severity of flooding increases. The insurance industry is not prepared to guarantee its FloodRe scheme (which subsidises the premiums of high-risk properties) beyond 2039 and this could have implications for people trying to get a mortgage in the area.
In 1977, there was severe flooding at Coston’s Lane and the resulting outcry caused Ealing’s flood defences (a combination of barriers and water-absorbing parkland) to be developed in the 1980s. But the BRCS believes this system is now under strain.
Coston’s Lane by Greenford Bridge, August 1977, before the flood protections were put in place. Picture: Ealing Council
The Open Spaces Society has also made an objection on the grounds of building on Brent River Park and other protected spaces.
Says Kate Ashbrook, the society’s general secretary, ‘The Brent River Park is enormously valuable to the people of Ealing. It was established in 1975 in response to local need, and that need is greater now than ever.
‘Ealing is fifteenth out of the 22 London boroughs for its levels of obesity and inactivity, so this green space is a life-saver for local people. It is peaceful and nature rich, and vital for physical and mental restoration. We are dismayed that Ealing Council can contemplate building on it.’
BRCS Chair Phil Belman said , “We stand alongside residents wanting to see Gurnell Leisure Centre brought back into use. The pool is sorely missed and it is important for health and wellbeing to re-open what was once a well-used facility. However, we must be realistic on this latest proposal. Building houses and flats on the Brent floodplain in the Brent River Park is unwise. These new homes will carry a significant flood risk as soon as they are built. Furthermore, they will increase the risk to properties and homes nearby and further along the River Brent. We know that climate change is already producing more flash floods. Ealing Council should be trying to reduce the amount of hard-standing close to our river, not increasing it.
The consultation period for the application (241706OUTR3) has been extended to 26 June and the BRCS wants residents to object on the grounds of the increased flood risk and inappropriate development on Metropolitan Open Land (MOL) and Public Open Space (POS). At the time of writing over 300 objections had been made to the proposal.
An aerial overview of the proposed Gurnell development from the planning documents
The council’s application acknowledges that the proposed development is not in accordance with the development plan in force in the area and that building will take place on MOL and POS but argues that the benefits of the new leisure centre and the housing provided by the scheme outweigh any harms.
The leader of Ealing Council, Cllr Peter Mason, said, “We want a destination leisure centre to serve residents, families, and the next generation of sporting champions. This radically different masterplan reflects that vision.
“We have listened to feedback from residents, sports groups, and centre users about their objections to the first, failed planning application. The new plan reflects and responds to previous concerns about the height and number of residential units.”
It is expected that, should approval be granted then construction work would begin with in the year with the leisure centre opening in 2027.
To make a comment before 26 June visit the planning section of the Ealing Council web site and search using reference 241706OUTR3.
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