THE arguments for and against a flood relief scheme for Kendal are to be debated in public at an inquiry to be held this summer.

After the three-day inquiry, which is due to start on August 13, an inspector will decide whether South Lakeland District Council should be given compulsory purchase powers to buy all the land needed for the £1.05 million Stock Beck Flood Alleviation Scheme.

The scheme has been designed to prevent a repeat of the floods that wreaked havoc on homes in parts of Lowther Park, Silverdale Drive, and a small area of Calder Drive in January 1999.

Most of the 16 owners have already agreed in principle to sell land needed for the scheme to the council, but SLDC has not been able to reach a deal with one landowner, and applied for a Compulsory Purchase Order.

One objection was lodged against the CPO, which has triggered the public inquiry.

It is understood that the objectors are the owners of the five-acre field north of Sedbergh Road which would be used as a flood storage reservoir.

The owners of the field are Margaret Ward and Charles Stewart.

Mr Stewart and Mrs Ward declined to comment this week.

If the inspector agrees to the CPO, the council would be able to take possession of the field, and a land tribunal would then decide how much SLDC should pay.

The council could take up its option to purchase the other parcels of land for the prices previously agreed with the owners.

SLDC environmental protection manager Mark Richardson said the council would be required to pay whatever the tribunal decided for the field.

He said he would expect it to be nearer "£ 20,000 than £100,000," working on the calculation that agricultural land was worth around £3,500 per acre, or slightly more if it was particularly useful, for example as an extension to a garden.

He said: " Obviously, as building land that pushes the price up considerably but we have always said this is not building land.

"There are no planning permissions on there, it's shown as important public open space (in the Local Plan) and we should not be talking about building land prices."

If the CPO is not granted, Mr Richardson said there was very little the council could do, because alternatives to the proposed scheme would be expensive, and complex.

If the CPO is granted, work could start in 12 months time.

Mr Richardson was this week due to meet flood experts from DEFRA to try to secure funding for Stock Beck and other potential land drainage schemes.