Flooding concerns over Surrey council car park development proposals

The Environment Agency (EA) has warned several times the site is a “significant hazard” for the general public.

Spelthorne Borough Council has agreed to lease the land under Bridge Street car park in Staines to the Arora Group.

The hotel group, worth £2.5bn, will look to submit a planning application for a hotel on the site in the next 12 months.

The EA has written to the council numerous times highlighting its concern that the site is highly vulnerable to flooding and should not be developed.

In a letter to the council dated June 21, 2024, an EA officer said the Bridge Street car park site is located in a high risk flood zone and dangerous to the general public.

A council spokesperson said: “At a strategic level, it is considered reasonable to anticipate that site-specific technical, design, and engineering solutions can be developed.

“There is an opportunity to mitigate flood risk and enable delivery of this brownfield site.”

Leader of the council, Joanne Sexton said the development of a quality hotel will provide an economic boost.

She said: “It’s a strong signal that businesses like the Arora Group are keen to invest in Spelthorne and can see the potential in our Borough.

“It’s a very exciting project which will transform the area, attract new visitors and provide new career opportunities for local residents.”

But a campaign group has slammed the council for not including a condition that the proposed development must not increase flooding in the area.

“It’s as good as saying to the developer ‘if you can get it through the planning process, that’d be OK with us’,” said a spokesperson for the Riverside Residents (Staines) Coalition.

Aware of the danger, Spelthorne council officers have underlined the Bridge Street car park site in red as a “significant flood risk” in a Strategic Flood Risk Assessment.

The vulnerable location was highlighted as “unlikely to be able to be managed to ensure development is safe for its lifetime without increasing flood risk elsewhere”.

Before planning permission can be approved, the applicant will have to demonstrate that safe access and exit will be available for those staying in the proposed hotel.

Maps for the River Thames show there is currently no access to a dry or low hazard route during a potential flooding event.

Modelling the potential impact of climate change, flood depths could be up to 1.5 metres deep.

Spelthorne’s own flood risk assessment highlights a hazard rating as ‘Moderate to Significant’, meaning ‘Danger for Most’ of the general public present.

It also details the risk of flooding is likely to increase in the future due to the impacts of climate change.

After the June letter, the EA pleaded with the council on July 1, asking them to “consider a less vulnerable use” of the land.

The letter suggested a “water compatible use or essential infrastructure in line with national planning policy”.

Still, the council has agreed in 2025 to rent out the “prime riverside site” while Arora Group works on a planning application.

The new development will be restricted to a specific area and built no higher than 25m, according to council documents.

However, there is a clause that the Arora Group can apply to the council for the option to build higher.

If the proposed building design breaches the agreement then Arora Group will be unable to start construction works as it will not be able to enter the long-term lease until this is rectified, the report states.

The council have been flip-flopping whether to include Bridge Street car park in the Spelthorne’s Local Plan for “residential or hotel development”.

In October, the council agreed to withdraw the site- meaning the land has not been allocated for development- citing the EA’s letter on June 21.

While it is difficult to build on land not included in the local plan, it is not impossible but a developer needs strong reasons why its proposals should be approved.

Councils are required to consult the EA when making planning decisions, but they are not legally bound to act on the advice.

“There has been no explanation of how the Arora agreement fits with the Council’s request to withdraw the site for residential and hotel purposes.

“Putting to one side the Council’s proposed withdrawal of the site, a high-quality four star hotel somewhere in Staines is of course attractive in principle.” says a spokesperson for the Riverside Residents (Staines) Coalition.

“A major concern will be whether foundations for the building will increase flood risk for others in the area given the massive quantities of water that flow through the gravel substrate on which the site sits.

Another is whether a building 25 metres or higher is appropriate in this highly sensitive site.”

The Arora Group has “shown commitment” to fully engage with a pre-application public consultation and ensure the design of the new development fits well with its surroundings and the conservation area, according to Spelthorne council.

Surinder Arora, chairman of the Arora Group, said: “We genuinely believe that the area needs the introduction of a new four-star hotel development not only to service existing business and leisure customers but also to attract new opportunities to the area.

“The hotel will create over 160 new jobs, and we anticipate that many of these will be taken by the local community.

The Arora Group operates several hotels in the nearby areas of Heathrow and Englefield Green and this local operating expertise will benefit the proposed development in Staines.”