AN INDEPENDENT report on flooding issues surrounding two greenfield developments at Menston has confirmed the fears of campaigners fighting to overturn planning decisions.

The review of flooding problems in the area by leading expert Dr Duncan Reed was commissioned by members of Bradford Council's Regulatory and Appeals committee, which decided to seek clarification when it met in October.

And in the 60 page detailed document just published, Dr Reed highlights two significant issues, particularly the unique landscape surrounding Menston and the impact on underground water levels caused by closure of the old High Royds Hospital.

In Dr Reed's opinion, Barratt Homes, who want to build 174 homes on the Derry Hill site and Taylor Wimpey, who want to put 134 properties beside Bingley Road, have not been specific enough in their approach.

"The developers have relied on generalised methods of flood estimation that are widely but wrongly applied to such sites," he writes in the opening to his report.

"An important factor neglected in this case is the prevalence of springs and responsive groundwater from the Millstone Grit aquifer underlying the hillside on which Menston sits.

"The areal extent of the topographic catchment draining to Derry Hill has also been underestimated.

The hillside on which Menston sits can be summarised as hummocky," Dr Reed states.

"It is drained by a number of small streams. Some of these are seasonal, with flows only occurring in wet weather and, or when groundwater levels are unusually high."

He also explains that the growing village has already caused drainage difficulties.

"The progressive migration of Menston village up the hillside has led to problems previously.

"Because there is no dominant stream, each has in turn been culverted, diverted into sewer systems or obstructed by development," Dr Reed writes.

He goes on to say these problems are heightened by Menston's unique setting and the relatively recent closure of High Royds Hospital which used massive amounts of spring water.

" A second unusual feature arises from the siting of the huge asylum at High Royds in 1888.

"High Royds Hospital (HRH) was designed to be as self-sufficient as possible, and the availability of a strong source of groundwater was a key asset.

"The groundwater abstraction at the HRH Pump House continued throughout the lifetime of HRH and ceased on closure of the hospital in 2003."

Dr Reed explains that Menston's growth took place in an era when High Royds was removing water and now the whole area is much wetter.

"The Bingley Road development lies within the area where typical groundwater levels can be expected to be appreciably higher than during the lifetime of HRH," Dr Reed adds.

Menston Action Group spokesman, Dr Steve Ellams, said they welcomed the report but did not want to draw too many conclusions at this stage.

"Dr Reed has looked into a lot of material which we have been banging on about and he states pretty clearly that our worries are justified.

"However we don't want to say too much as we want the councillors to study this and draw their own conclusions.

"I'm pleased that it will help educate both the council officers and the councillors in this matter."

Developers Barratt Homes and Taylor Wimpey chose not to comment on the new reports at this stage.

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