Massive August flooding raises alarm about Eton plans for new town
Extensive flooding caused traffic chaos at East Chiltington on Monday (August 9) after heavy overnight rains. Campaign group Don’t Urbanise the Downs has warned that the floods illustrate how disastrous Eton College’s proposed 3,000-house new town could be – with catastrophic repercussions on traffic, the environment and on the lives of those in and near the 500-acre site, including in Lewes.
“If the Bevern Stream breaks its banks after just one night of heavy rainfall in August in an area of pristine countryside, imagine the devastation a wet winter could bring if this urban area gets the go ahead. Replacing grassy fields with concrete and tarmac would mean a massive increase in surface water run off with nowhere to go,” said the group’s lead Marc Munier.
“Novington Lane (pictured) was cut off to traffic on Monday. This happens regularly even now because the proposed site is on Wealden clay. The Bevern Stream is a tributary of the River Ouse and we all remember the devastation caused when the Ouse flooded Lewes in 2000. It beggar’s belief that this flood zone is even being considered as somewhere appropriate to build 3,000 houses,” he added.
Increased flood risks is one of Don’t Urbanise the Downs’ key objections to the proposed development. Over 300 people have recently attended a series of Drop-In Days organised by the campaign group to raise awareness of the issues associated with the proposed new town during the Lewes District Council ‘Issues and Options’ public consultation, which ends on 3 September.
More than 120 people attended the most recent day on Saturday at Ditchling Village Hall, when group members also took to the streets with placards to talk to passers-by (pictured).
“The days have been hugely successful as they give us the chance to talk through individual concerns raised by these plans on a one-to-one basis and provide guidance on the Issues and Options consultation. We have seen our membership increase by over 1,000 people in the past few weeks to well over 3,000 supporters - which demonstrates the depth of anger people feel about these plans to build on and obliterate our beautiful downland. It is vital that people comment on the public consultation by September 3 for the best chance of stopping this development in its tracks – our website (www.donturbanisethedowns.com) provides them with more information,” Marc added.
The next Don’t Urbanise the Downs Drop-In Day is at Lewes Town Hall on Saturday (14 August) from 11.00 – 18.00, which will also feature performances from 5pm by traditional Sussex folk singers the Copper Family and Bob Lewis.