Sling Lane Fields act as a sponge, filtering rainwater from the Malvern Hills into the Whiteacres Brook.
The whole area was once part of the ancient swampland between Malvern and the Severn.
Malvern Hills District Council solicitor Digby Morgan said the council has the skills to manage the development and fund of the facilities at Sling Lane when he took control from Newtown Sports.
The environmental study he commissioned from Worcester Wildlife Trust was a mainstay to justify development planning approval.
It stated that "there are no watercourses on the site" – not the case as the Whiteacres Brook is clearly marked on OS maps and the 'sponge' is a well-known local feature.
The council then allowed developers to lay very small drainage piping under the site, which becomes backed up even after moderate rainfall.
The new car park has now flooded 14 times since August 2013!
It seems that the council lacks the local knowledge and expertise to manage this development after all.
Draining the 'sponge' will result in more flooding at Hayslan Fields, Pickersleigh Road and onwards to the Severn.
This whole area is essentially a local flood plain, and a very inappropriate place for any form of development.
Trevor Rickard
Malvern
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