In simple terms, once and sometimes twice every year for the past eight years, and probably before that (locals would know), an area of sites 0247 and 0248 floods. Photographs show this.
During and after heavy or prolonged rainfall, St Columb's Rill fills up, overflows its steep banks and inundates the land. Sections of adjoining fields, which belong to other owners, and fall just outside the development boundaries, also flood at the same time.
From the hills
On these occasions a considerable volume
of water also flows down from the hills on the Haw Road side of St Columb's
Rill,
draining
into a hillside stream which quickly becomes a gushing torrent. This
pours directly into the Rill at a land-ownership junction which is a
few feet outside the Development boundary (See WHERE
IS IT? plan).
Breaches This normally insignificant stream is, (like St Columb's Rill) outside the boundaries of 0247 and 0248 but will still continue to pour its water into the Rill, during and after development of these sites, thereby continuing to add to the flooding danger, no matter what measures are taken on the development side of the Rill. |
 Photo (Dec. 2001) showing hillside stream coming down from top of picture to join the Rill behind the tree. It has overflowed into the adjoining field. |
Speed
The rapid speed with which the Rill fills up and
overflows is amazing. In parts along the site boundaries and elsewhere,
its banks
are 3' - 4' high, yet in a few hours the water level has filled up and
spilled over into the fields on either side.
St Columb's Rill, or part of it, is a "Designated" watercourse which means it is 'maintained' - cleaned out periodically /annually by the Rivers Agency. They need access for this.
The hillside stream is NOT a "Designated" watercourse.
Neither St Columb's Rill nor the hillside stream are marked as watercourses on any Site Layouts or Roads plans, that we have been shown over the years - even though they have a very significant bearing on these housing development sites. We have asked Coleraine planners to rectify this omission - with no success.
During the course of this protracted planning application, various numbers of houses and garages have been shown on Site Layout Plans to be built in the area which floods annually.