Aldi plan could be blocked by flooding fears

An Aldi supermarket, which was approved by a council in December, could be blocked because of fears over flooding.

Wokingham Borough Council allowed the application for a store at Winnersh, Berkshire, in December, despite objections from the Environment Agency.

On Wednesday, the council will consider withdrawing its support for the scheme in light of the flood risk from climate change.

The government will make the final decision following a public inquiry.

The supermarket was due to be built on green land beside Winnersh Fields Business Park.

Aldi allowed for a 20% rise in the level of the River Loddon, council planning officers said in a report to Wednesday's planning committee.

However, they said the Environment Agency now recommended a higher allowance of 23%.

The officers also said they no longer approved of the supermarket's drainage plans.

They said river and rainfall flooding combined might overwhelm proposed underground surface water storage facilities.

The officers concluded: “The application site is within an area of flood risk and has failed to demonstrate that it would not increase the risk of flooding elsewhere.”

They recommended that the committee votes to object to the plan at the public inquiry, which is due to be held in August.

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