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C:\Myfiles\Wpdocs\1078- FRA Building H7 Flood Risk Assessment At Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey For The Change of Use of the Existing Shop and Reception Building H7 To an Office Contents 1 Introduction 2 Site Description 3 Sources of Potential Fluvial Flood Risk 4 The Proposal 5 Assessment 6 Conclusion Appendices 1 Site Location Plan 2 Environment Agency’s Indicative Flood Risk Map 3 River Lea Flood Modelling Node Locations and Levels 4 Survey and Flood Lines 5 Layout 6 Extract from the Geological Map 7 Extract from Defra/ EA Report Flood Risk and New Development Phase 2 FD2320/TR2 8 Glossary 1078/09 - FRA - H7 CoU Michael Thomas Consultancy LLP Limited Liability Partnership Number. 0C 302337 Registered in England and in Wales Registered Office 5 King’s Court Willie Snaith Road Newmarket Suffolk CB8 7SG Tel 01638 661226 Fax 01638 669812 Email [email protected] Partners M. F. Thomas P. E. Thomas Associates J. T. Crawley M. Brindley Flood Risk Assessment At Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey For The Change of Use of the Existing Shop and Reception Building H7 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Michael Thomas Consultancy LLP has been asked to provide a Flood Risk Assessment in respect of the change of use of the existing building H7 from Shop and Reception Area at the entrance to the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey site to an office shop use. 1.2 This report is based on the following information: 1.2.1 Flooding information provided by the Environment Agency. 1.2.2 Site inspection by Michael Thomas Consultancy LLP. 1.2.3 Survey data supplied by client and spot levels taken by Ratcliff Land Survey. 1078/09 - FRA- H7 CoU 1 1.3 All the comments and opinions contained in this report including any conclusions are based on the information available to Michael Thomas Consultancy LLP during our investigations. The conclusions drawn could therefore differ if the information is found to be inaccurate, incomplete or misleading. Michael Thomas Consultancy LLP accept no liability should this prove to the be the case, nor if additional information exists or becomes available with respect to this site. 1.4 Michael Thomas Consultancy LLP makes no representation whatsoever concerning the legal significance of its findings or any other matters referred to in the following report. Except as otherwise requested by the client, Michael Thomas Consultancy LLP are not obliged and disclaim any obligation to update the report for events taking place after the Assessment was undertaken. 1.5 This report is a Flood Risk Assessment of flooding issues associated with the proposed development. The information presented and conclusions drawn are based on statistical data and are for guidance purposes only. This report provides no guarantee against flooding of the study site or elsewhere, nor as to the absolute accuracy of water levels, flow rates and associated probabilities quoted. 1078/09 - FRA- H7 CoU 2 2 SITE DESCRIPTION 2.1 The Museum Site lies to the north of Waltham Abbey on land between the Horsemill Stream / River Lea and the Old River Lea. 2.2 The main access to the site is from the A121 junction with the B194 via Beaulieu Drive northwards to the Hoppit Road junction. To the north of the Hoppit Road, Beaulieu Drive junction is the existing car park and Building H7. 2.3 Building H7 is an existing building surrounded by a blast bank at the entrance to the Royal Gunpowder Mills complex just north of the junction between Beaulieu Drive and Hoppit Road on the western side of The Royal Gunpowder Mills site. 2.4 To the east of Building H7 is the first of the three old canal routes and the central open area of the Museum site and further east is the area known as the east flank being the area on the western bank of the Old River Lea bounded on the west by the Old River Lea and on the east by the Middle Road Canal which is the first of the Mill Head Stream internal canals, associated with the site. 2.5 To the north of Building H7 is the existing visitors car park and to the west is the northern end of Beaulieu Drive and then the Horsemill Stream of the River Lea . 2.6 The existing building is a brick built structure. 2.7 Hoppit Road runs eastwards past the current security building and over the three disused canals to a roundabout at its junction with Powdermill Way. 2.8 Between the canals there is an elevated walkway running south to Flagstaff Road. 1078/09 - FRA- H7 CoU 3 2.9 The road to the east from the roundabout passes the Mineral Jelly Store before reaching the Middle Road Canal. 2.10 The surface water drainage for the existing building H7 discharges to the existing piped surface water drainage system. 1078/09 - FRA- H7 CoU 4 3 SOURCES OF FLOOD RISK 3.1 In accordance with Planning Policy Statement 25 various forms of flood risk need to be considered for any development. 3.2 The first form of flood risk to be considered in respect of any development in accordance with Annex C of Planning Policy Statement 25 is fluvial flooding. 3.3 The fluvial flood risk to this site is relatively complex as the River Lea which is the only source of fluvial flood risk consists of multiple channels through this area. The most eastern stream is known as the Cornmill Stream and through the site forming the eastern boundary of the east flank section is the Old River Lea. 3.4 The western boundary of the site is formed by the Horsemill Stream of the River Lea and to the west of that is the River Lea Navigation and further west again is the Small River Lea. 3.5 Flood levels in the area have been modelled by the Environment Agency which indicate that some flooding occurs in various locations throughout the site. The applicable flood level for Building H7 is between 19.44m and 19.45 metres. 3.6 The second form of flood risk to be considered in accordance with Annex C of Planning Policy Statement 25 is tidal flooding. However, in this instance it is not considered that the site is at risk of tidal flooding as its land levels are all in the order of 19 metres above sea level. 1078/09 - FRA- H7 CoU 5 3.7 The third form of flood risk to be considered in accordance with Annex C of Planning Policy Statement 25 is flooding from land. 3.8 Intense rainfall can sometimes fail to be absorbed by the ground and be unable to enter the drainage system which leads to pounding in low areas and flow over the surface of the land from high areas to low areas. 3.9 There is an existing surface water drainage system for this area of the Museum site which drains surface water from the existing buildings and roadways and in the event of intense rainfall overloading the system some localised surface water flooding would occur. The lower points on the site would fill up with surface water which will eventually flow into the adjacent former canals. 3.10 The fourth form of flood risk to be considered in accordance with Annex C of Planning Policy Statement 25 is flooding from rising groundwater. 3.11 Groundwater flooding occurs when water levels in the ground rise above surface elevations. This is most likely to occur in low lying areas underlain by permeable rocks. 3.12 The site is shown on the geological map (Appendix 11) as alluvial underlain by River Terrace Sand and Gravel, but the gravel strata are probably in hydraulic continuity with the Old River Lea to the east of the site and it is unlikely that rising groundwater levels would affect the site to any greater degree than a fluvial flood. 3.13 The fifth form of flood risk to be considered in accordance with Annex C of Planning Policy Statement 25 is flooding from blocked or overloaded sewers. 1078/09 - FRA- H7 CoU 6 3.14 The sewerage system on the site is owned and operated by the site owner and it is in their interests to ensure that the system is maintained and operates efficiently. In the event of a blockage personnel are on hand to deal with the problem and minimise the risk of flooding of any of the buildings. 3.15 The last form of flood risk to be considered in accordance with Annex C of Planning Policy Statement 25 is flooding from reservoirs, canals or other artificial sources. The River Lea’s system is now largely artificial and managed by the Environment Agency. It’s the catchment does contain a number of reservoirs and storage areas, but it is considered that the risk of flooding from these is no greater than from a fluvial flood. 1078/09 - FRA- H7 CoU 7 4 THE PROPOSAL 4.1 The proposal is to change the use of the existing Building H7 from shop and reception area for the Museum to an office building with no external alterations. 4.2 The existing access and egress routes are through the existing blast bank and a 750 mm high flood gate will be installed in the two access points to protect the building from flooding up to a level of 19.75m which is 300 mm above the modelled in 1 in 100 year plus climate change flood level in the adjacent Horsemill Stream. 4.3 The external fabric of the building will be generally repaired and joinery and metal work repainted and restored to its original condition.
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