FLOOD-HIT farmer Rob Keene has questioned a consultation which appears to ignore the high ground of Gloucester's massive rubbish dump.

The Environment Agency has released details of its plan to manage flood risk around the River Severn.

But Over farmer Rob, whose land flooded in 2007, says no account has been taken of the huge Hempsted tip site which dominates the landscape south of the Lower Parting.

The tip site grows ever higher, and is well above the level of the river and surrounding land – so it would not be able to take floodwater.

But the Environment Agency has marked out an area which could flood, and that area includes the tip.

"The whole thing kind of makes sense if the tip wasn't there," said Rob. "I know people are concerned about it and its been brought up with the EA. The repercussions for this area are really serious."

Swamped

The EA said the tip site had been taken in to account, and the map used in the consultation document was for illustration purposes only.

But Rob said the Hempsted tip would cause a flood bottleneck as well, and its potential effect on worsening the flood risk should not be underestimated.

"There isn't much chance of moving the tip but it seems unfair that farmers' land is being used as a flood storage area to reduce the flooding possibility in Gloucester.

"If we are taking water on our land to save people's homes, I accept that, but they are not taking notice of the problems the tip causes."

He added that a plan to raise a new stadium for the Gloucester City football ground would cause further problems.

During the floods of 2007, which saw more than 5,000 homes under water, and 135,000 without drinking water, Mr Keen's farm lost many crops.

"It was devastating," he said. "We had 350 acres submerged. It was just a nightmare in terms of the crops we lost and the retail trading we didn't have."

The EA's Managing Flood Risk on the Severn Estuary brochure ties in with the recently published Shoreline Management Plan (SMP), which provides a framework for managing issues around the Severn Estuary including flood risk.

"It is important for us to be able to plan ahead for the challenge that climate change presents of rising sea levels," said Anthony Perry, area flood risk manager.

The SMP and the Severn Estuary Strategy are intended to help councils, landowners and others to work with the EA to adapt to climate change in the coming decades.

Consultation closed on April 4.

An EA spokeswoman said: "The modelling and assessment for the Severn estuary strategy did take into account the raised ground of Hempsted landfill site.

"The map shown in the brochure was for illustration purposes only."