Lowood pollution and flooding risks flagged up to council

DOUGLAS SHEPHERD reports on potential environmental and landscape impacts of  the Borders' controversial development project

The construction of up to 400 new houses close to the River Tweed near Melrose - a key element of the so-called Tweedbank Masterplan - would have detrimental implications for the high quality landscapes and increase the risk of flooding and pollution, according to a strategic review of the project.

As Not Just Sheep & Rugby has already reported, a team of consultants commissioned by Middlemede Properties Ltd., owners of the Upper Pavilion salmon fishery, near Melrose, handed a comprehensive 68-page report to Scottish Borders Council in March 2018.

But the document was only made public a few days ago, and it is understood many of SBC's elected members were not aware of the findings when it was decided to proceed with the purchase of Lowood Estate for £11 million, including costs, to facilitate the masterplan.

It outlined Middlemede's concerns over the £203 million masterplan, particularly the planned developments at Lowood adjoining the salmon fishery where most of the new homes would be built.

Consultants Jones Lang Lasalle (JLL) who led the response to the masterplan on behalf of Middlemede, concluded the housing proposals were 'unviable and undeliverable' on commercial grounds.

And two other firms - Horner and Maclennan (landscape and visual review) and ITPEnergised (environmental review) also identified a list of concerns associated with the council's vision.

The environmental section of the report explains that the Tweed, which flows through the masterplan area boundary, is designated as a SAC (Special Area of Conservation) and a SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) for salmon and otter.

"This is a highly important ecological resource, maintaining a number of habitats and species, which require protection from future development", the report warns.

"The masterplan includes an aspirational density of 250-400+ dwellings, however no justification has been provided that Lowood can accommodate this scale of development and indeed that figure would seem to have been arrived at before any level of environmental appraisal work has been undertaken.

"The masterplan has not taken into consideration the impacts that the proposed development could have on existing riparian uses and interests, including effects that increased pollution and flooding risks could have on recreational fisheries and ongoing conservation efforts.

Properties would be drained through a SUDS (Sustainable Drainage System) pond to be located within an area identified by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) as at medium to high risk of flooding. This was contrary to SEPA guidance and increased the exposure of the River Tweed to pollution and increased risk of downstream flooding, said the consultants.

"A preliminary environmental appraisal that was undertaken for the masterplan identifies that mature woodland will need to be felled to accommodate the proposed development. It identifies a number of additional ecological and environmental surveys that will need to be undertaken to demonstrate that the proposed development will not result any significant adverse effects. These surveys do not appear to have been undertaken."

The parallel scathing landscape review claims: "The masterplan fails to adequately consider the existing tree and woodland pattern on the site as a strategic constraint to development, fails to base its proposals on an arboricultural survey of the tree resource as required by the Council, and fails to apply appropriate buffer zones to areas of existing woodland and trees proposed for retention

"The existing secluded character of the riparian river corridor and the quality of its views, forming an important part of the Borders Abbey Way, would be significantly altered by the introduction of the scale and location of built development proposed.

"Tree removals of the scale required to achieve the development pattern proposed are likely to increase the visibility of the proposed development from the surrounding area.

"Given the extent of tree and woodland removal which is considered necessary as part of the masterplan proposals, and the scale and extent of built development which is proposed, it is considered that the proposed development would become visible in elevated views from within the Eildon and Leaderfoot National Scenic Area (NSA), drawing attention to the development to the detriment of the overall quality of this view from within the NSA."

According to the review report the dense development pattern proposed is considered to constitute significant ‘over-development’ of the site, given its sensitive landscape character and extensive woodland and tree belt pattern.

Horner & Maclennan state: "SNH (Scottish Natural Heritage) advice recommends that the proposed development is designed around the existing allocation site characteristics of woodland, specimen trees and boundary walls to create a high quality development, and that the proximity of the allocation site to the River Tweed necessitates consideration of the assessment and mitigation of potential impacts. Consideration of the masterplan proposals indicates the current proposals fall well short of SNH’s requirements."