Public Inquiry Information supporting Ecological Owlthorpe as an upstream nature based solution protecting the environment from downstream flooding. Ref:EO-01 to EO-21 EO-01 Original Objection 21st Feb 2020 This is my original objection to planning Application 19/03143/FUL, building in Owlthorpe, submitted 21 February 2020 to Howard Baxter Sheffield (LPA). My concern has always been about deforestation and downstream flooding. EO-02 Ecological Owlthorpe an environmental approach George Eustace MP https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbYXEDczL-U explains the Government's approch to UK flooding: £4bn spending on flood defences. This is supported by Environment Agency, Forestry Commission and Natural England who have jointly committed to "nature-based solutions to tackle the climate energency", to which Ecological Owlthorpe has the potential to make an excellent contribution. EO-03 This is an account of one of the victims of the flooding in Fishlake Jenny Palmer (resident of Fishlake) makes many relevant points which I have highlighted in yellow. Please read her statement carefully. Remember: All the water that flooded Fishlake came from Sheffield rivers including some from the disused mineworks under Owlthorpe courtesy of the Ochre Dyke. EO-04 River Don Flood Risk at Fishlake The flood-warning-information.service.gov.uk/station/8259 shows the last 5days river levels up to 18th January 2021 have been above the 3.18m water level: Flooding is possible. Flood risk assesment: Ecological Owlthorpe sets out the reasons not to build in Ecological Owlthorpe using local knowledge and understanding. The first photo shows the colour Ochre Dyke turns when the disused minworkings are flooded and Ochre washes out. This can be best seen in Link to Video:Ochre Dyke flooding. The second and third photos show scenes of flooding in Beighton, and the fourth of flooding in Fishlake. EO-06 Height above sea Level and GPS Co-ordinates This evidence shows how steep Ecological Owlthorpe is. Birley Wood Golf Course stands 650ft above sea level, Fishlake is 23ft above sea level. This difference of 627ft is evidence in itself that downstream flooding is likely to occur. Fishlake is not local to Owlthorpe and stands 31.2 miles downstream. Between 1980 and 2002 Sheffield lost 75.7% of its unimproved EO-08 Owlthorpe Meadows Invertebrate Survey 2010 The maps in EO-08 show the detailed extent of work carried out by Derek Whiteley, Assistant Ecologist Sheffield City Ecology Unit. At the time this survey was taken there were abundant invertebrates in Ecological Owlthorpe. Environmentalist such as Chris Packham values the scrubland vegetation as vital to the continued exsistence of invertebrates to the wildlife food chain. This is echoed by many scientists around the world. EO-09 Owlthorpe Meadows Invertebrate Survey 2011 Records added to Sheffield Biological Records Centre RECORDER database. Surveyed on 19 May 2011, 1 June 2011, 14 June 2011 and 27 June 2011 Areas surveyed in 2011. Phase 1 grazing fields – outlined in pink. Phase 1A grazing field – outlined in yellow. Phase 2 grazing fields – outlined in green. This list includes some species that are nationally localised and some species that are scarce in Sheffield. EO-10 Owlthorpe Meadows Invertebrate Survey 2012 v2 Records added to Sheffield Biological Records Centre RECORDER database. National Tree Strategy (Westminster Hall) EO-12 Interpretation Board Entrance By zooming in on your smartphone to the interpretation boards on our website you can see the detailed work carried out in producing our Oasis. The Land management is taking place under the monitering of Natural England by their Higher Level Stewardship Scheam. EO-13 stemming-the-flow-trees-in-flood-protection Policy Paper Stemming the flow The role of trees and woodland in flood protection May 2014 produced by The Woodland Trust woodlandtrust.org.uk/plant-trees This Paper is helpfull in explaining the requirements needed to stop downstream flooding. EO-14 Nicola Dempsy sustainability-11-00360-v2 Ongoing financial public sector budget pressure is adversely affecting the management and quality of parks in the UK. According to UNISON (2018), 59% of the UK’s local authorities had cut their parks and green spaces budgets between 2016/2017 and 2018/2019. This has led some local authorities to change how their parks services are delivered with fewer staff and an increased focus on lower maintenance. Dr Nicola Dempsey. Her students took an in-depth look at the proposal to build in Owlthorpe by reviewing the local objections. They also studied the interpretation boards that show the extent of environmental work carried out in 2012 under the guidance of Natural England. A further consideration is the need for new, environmentally friendly technology to be integrated into any plans. These should, for example, ensure that houses have south-facing aspects to capture the benefits of solar technology, with storage batteries capable of taking advantage of new government legislation that says properties with excess electricity can sell back to the national grid. High-speed charging points must be planned for, for electric cars and bicycles, with perhaps a car scrappage deal for residents moving into new housing and even possibly a ban on combustion engines from new housing estates. Sky is to sponsor the COP26 summit in Glasgow. Prime Minister Boris Johnson will address the One Planet Summit. The UK will host the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) in Glasgow on 1 – 12 November 2021. The UK needs to show that it is interested in combating climate change instead of concreting over upstream nature based solutions such as Ecological Owlthorpe. EO-17 List of floods in Sheffield I was caught up in the Sheffield flood of 2007: On 25 June, Sheffield suffered extensive damage as the River Don over-topped its banks, causing widespread flooding in the Don Valley area of the city. A 14-year-old boy was swept away by the swollen River Sheaf and a 68-year-old man died after attempting to cross a flooded road in Sheffield city centre. The Meadowhall shopping centre was closed due to flooding with some shops remaining closed downstairs until late September and Sheffield Wednesday's ground Hillsborough was under 6 feet (1.83 m) of water. A number of people had to be rescued by RAF helicopters from buildings in the Brightside area. The pressure of water overwelmed the drainage system, water shot up 5ft in the air out of the grates. ----------------------------------------------------------- EO-18 Review of Planning and Highways Committee Meeting 2nd June 2020 Prior to the public inquiry I requested in a number of corresponences to Holly Dutton, Heken Skinner, George Eustace MP and Robert Jenrick MP that the Government review Sheffield City Council's Planning Meeting on 2nd June 2020. I believe that Sheffield (LPA) may have mislead the Government with regards to the true outcomes of this meeting. At the inquiry, I specifically asked the Planning Inspector that he review the meeting 2nd June 2020. He declined. I personally think this was a derolection of the Inspector's duties as an independant arbitrator in this inquiry. However, he did allow me to review the said meeting, which was arranged by Guy Williams, Sheffield City Council Barrister, and Lucy Bond, Area Team Manager. I was suprised to find that the video evidence from June 2020 had been removed from Shefield Council's website. The reference number 19/03143/FUL remained the same throughout all enquieries. I thought that all evidence had to be made available to all parties until the Planning Inspector made his decision. Cllr Chris Rosling- Josephs explained that traffic in the area is horrendous, not only around Crystal Peaks but also in the surrounding area and that a full independent traffic assessment needs be taken before the council considers any more developments in the area. Colin Walker, Interim Head said “I think there is a significant risk if you throw Highways impact into this as a reason for refusal and that risk is that you effectively neutralise the site in residential terms.” Why was Highways impact removed from the legal document and not even considered by the Inspectorate? ----------------------------------------------------------------- EO-19 Site visit Wednesday 20th January 2021 Facts Matter: I showed the Inspector, Howard Baxter Sheffield (LPA) and representatives from Avant Homes the water retention on site E by placing a ruler in the tracks left by the off-road bikers. Local residents of Owlthorpe understand that how in wet months millions and millions of gallons of water are stored in site E and gently released into the Ochre Dyke. It seems to me that none of the officials understood the significance of standing water and the effect it has on downstream flooding in bad weather conditions. This is better demonstrated on our website:https://www.ecological-owlthorpe.org/Water.mp4 Please view. EO-20 the round table event regarding housing supply The 'student bubble' is close to collapse because of recent Covid-19 pandemic, with many students on rent strike and much of the accommodation currently empty. Future university accommodation is in jeopardy as distant learning might well become the norm for the foreseeable future. Look at this BBC video. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=467326297599930 Many companies are evaluating whether their office space is still needed. I fear that there will be many empty office blocks in the near future, and now with the closure of many of the leading High Street brands and premises there will be millions of square feet of retail space no longer required. Will these convert to housing requirements? This is a conundrum for all LPA to tackle in the near future. Avant Homes should move to the Brownfield Site at the Norton Aerodrome. ----------------------------------------------------------------- EO-21 Overview of the Ecological Owlthorpe Appeal In my recent visit to Fishlake I observed civil engineers working to strengthen flood defences, and local residents are grateful. In my evidence I have shown in EO-04 the problems Fishlake live with on a daily basis. A year on and many residents are putting their lives back together. Some have had problems with insurance claims whereas others have not. Either way, insurance premiums will be increased. I observed mothers taking children to look at the River Don. Children are perceptive. They walk back with their mom doing the things kids do, but they have been through a harrowing experience which will stay with them for the rest of their lives. Plaese view flooding in Fishlake 21st January 2021 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6ABoXGUgR4 About nine minutes into this video it shows the tow path at the side of the River Don is in a state of collapse. If we do nothing to stop the flow of downstream flooding from the Rivers of Sheffield there will be more devastating flooding with the possibility of loss of life. To all oficials: Robert Jenrick MP, George Eustace MP, Holly Dutton, Helen Skinner, O S Woodward the inspector appointed by the Secretary of State, Howard Baxter Sheffield (LPA) Clive Bettes MP Sheffield South East Remember: if more flooding occurs downstream resulting in loss of life it will be your decisions that have caused this. Please take flood risk assesments more seriously. Have you all seen this promotional video by “Planning Inspectorate - Fair, Impartial, Open” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6inT-7zbxsw I think this video should be shown at the start of all planning enquiries to remind the inspector what is required by Government Directive and the General Public. Appeal Decision: 2 March 2021 by O S Woodwards, an Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State, totally ignored Government's Directive and Planning Inspectorates own policies ie: “Valued green spaces protected for future generations, with more building on brown field land.” At the inquiry I suggested to the building inspector that Avant Homes should move their building project to the old Aerodrome at Norton. My personal opinion is that the enquiry was just a game of smoke and mirrors played by politicians, bureaucrats and barristers, completely ignoring the general public and the reality of climate change. Deforestation causes downstream flooding. Millions and millions watched as flooding took place in Beighton, Rotherham, Doncaster and Fishlake and now more recently, western Europe where 200 people lost their lives. The building inspector took absolutely no notice of evidence I provided to the enquiry and therefore was not in compliance with statements made by the Prime Minister Boris Johnson, MP Grorge Eustace Secratery of State for Environment, MP Robert Jenerick Secratery of State for Housing, The Environment Agency, Natural England the Forestry Commission and their own promotional video. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Contact information Email: holly.dutton@planninginspectorate.gov.uk Sheffield South East MP is Clive Betts: clive.betts.mp@parliament.uk Doncaster North (fishlake) MP is Ed Milliband: ed.miliband.mp@parliament.uk The Secretary of State for Housing E-mail: jenrickr@parliament.uk The Environment Secretary Email: george.eustice.mp@parliament.uk Environment Agency Email: enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk Forestry Commission mailto: alastair.suddaby@forestryengland.uk Natural England Email: enquiries@naturalengland.org.uk Cllr Bob McCann: bob.mccann@councillor.sheffield.gov.uk Cllr Chris Rosling-Josephs: chris.rosling-josephs@councillor.sheffield.gov.uk Cllr Sophie Wilson: sophie.wilson@councillor.sheffield.gov.uk In this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbYXEDczL-U Sophie Ridge interview George Eustace explains the government's response to UK floods. An extra £4 Billion to be spent on flood defenses. In Yorkshire , up stream nature based solutions are to be supported. We all need to ask our local MP and councilors why they have not applied for funds to protect Ecological Owlthorpe as an upstream nature based solution to protect the environment against flooding. Please sign our petition https://chng.it/FPc7X4Nq Sheffield campaign calls for Nature-based solutions to tackle the climate emergency. Thank you for your attention
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