A DRAINAGE scheme designed to prevent a repeat of flooding which devastated parts of Kendal two years ago has been granted planning permission.

South Lakeland District Council this week approved the Stock Beck flood alleviation scheme, almost exactly two years on from the floods in January 1999, which affected houses in parts of Lowther Park, Silverdale Drive, and a small area of Calder Drive.

Plans for the drainage scheme include the creation of a flood storage reservoir in a field between Calder Drive and Sedbergh Road, and improvements and alterations to an existing watercourse on land from east of Calder Drive to east of Whitbarrow Close.

Approval of the SLDC plans means the authority can now press ahead with acquiring land which is vital for the scheme, although this process could take up to two years.

The development control sub-committee heard that an environmental impact assessment into the flood relief scheme raised no major issues, and followed a strong recommendation from planning officers to approve the scheme.

SLDC's head of development control, Peter Ridgway, later told the Gazette that this was an "important and critical step forward".

"Until permission was authorised, the council wasn't able to take steps towards acquiring the land," he said.

Once the planning consent is issued, in about 14 days time, it will form part of an application to the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions for compulsory purchase powers.

Head of environmental services Mark Richardson said that this order was needed as negotiations to buy the field between Sedbergh Road and Calder Drive had not been successful.

Any objections to this order will mean a public inquiry will be heard.

Mr Richardson said that he thought that this would "almost undoubtedly" happen, and that this process could take up to two years.

He added: "We have put a lot of the ground work in already, and lobbied ministers at the department to make sure that when they get the application it doesn't just sit on someone's desk, but gets dealt with as quickly as possible."