Gloucestershire residents fear nearby development will cause flooding
People in Gloucestershire who live near land earmarked for development say they fear it will cause flooding.
More than 700 homes are planned at Twigworth, near Gloucester, on land which, it is claimed, is bordered by a flood plain.
Local residents have drone footage showing flooding in surrounding fields.
Residents say there are flat fields which waterlog with surface water and "there is nowhere for it to go".
The river is close by, and when the river floods back, we are in a pickle.
Brian Tocknell lives in a retirement community which borders the land to be developed.
He says he has seen the field waterlogged when it rains.
The water came right up to my fence, at least two feet deep. They say they will install a sludge pump, but what happens when the Severn backs up?
There are calls for the planning system to be overhauled, when it comes to assessing flood risk.
Tewkesbury Borough Council says the area is not in an area classed as a flood plain.
It says "Drainage plans have been agreed with the developers on all these sites which should mean that there is no increase in flood risk.
"Sustainable drainage techniques are being used so that surface water enters the surrounding watercourses at a slower rate than was the case when the sites were green fields, thereby providing an improvement on previous conditions.
"Because of this, in allowing each of the new developments, the Secretary of State was satisfied that the new homes could be built without risk of flooding to them, and without increasing the risk of flooding elsewhere."
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