Why, after spending £3.8m on flood defences for Totnes, is the Environment Agency objecting to plans by Catherine House Surgery to move into the former Job Centre building on the basis that it might flood?

That is the question being asked by Totnes district councillor John Birch.

According to the Environment Agency, it is because the new defences will only protect against one type of flooding and cannot account for the effects of climate change.

A spokesman said: “The Totnes flood defences are designed to protect the town from certain size tidal and fluvial floods – ‘design’ events – in the present day. However, flood risks are likely to increase over time due to climate change.”

The agency predicted that in the course of the next 75 years, “the existing defences would overtop” unless future generations raise them further.

It also pointed out that Westward House, where the new doctors’ surgery is proposed, “has a history of surface water flooding, from which there are no defences”.

The water depth in this area – Flood Zone 3 – could reach as much as 1.3 metres. If that it the case, then not only the proposed new surgery, but also Totnes Community Hospital and the fire and ambulance station, could be at risk.

The agency’s solution to the problem? Raising the floor levels of buildings. A spokesman said: “We suggested that the developer investigate the possibility of raising the internal finished floor levels to see if potential internal flood depths could be reduced.

“However, they have indicated that it is impossible to raise the ground-floor level of Westward House.

“Given this, it’s clear that the proposed new surgery wouldn’t be safe over its lifetime, and therefore we objected to the planning application.”

All of this will provide scant reassurance for homes and businesses along The Plains and Steamer Quay, which may have been breathing a collective sigh of relief that Totnes’s multimillion-pound flood defences are now in place.

In fact, only last week the mayor of Totnes, Cllr Judy Westacott, was invited to the official launch of the £3.8m scheme that stretches from Broadmarsh Industrial Estate to the Steam Packet Inn.

George Arnison, flood risk funding manager at the Environment Agency, said: “More than 400 houses and businesses are now significantly better protected from river and tidal flooding.”

This statement may sound a little hollow given the agency’s objection to the proposed relocation of Catherine House Surgery.

Describing the situation as “planning madness”, district councillor John Birch called into question whether spending £3.8m on flood defences is a good use of taxpayers’ money.

“The Environment Agency’s objection to the planning application would seem to indicate that its flood-prevention scheme will not work. This is very worrying for the residents of Totnes who live near the river Dart, as they were led to believe that the purpose of these expensive flood-prevention works was to protect them.

“Someone at the Environment Agency needs to step up to the plate and explain what’s happening and why all this money has been spent and yet they’re predicting floods to a depth of 1.3 metres at New Walk.”

In a document submitted to planners, James Gurpinar, of Haldons, the agent for Catherine House Surgery, pointed out that the existing surgery is less than 10 metres from Westward House and is therefore “susceptible to the same flood risks”.

He added: “The patients will be at no greater risk following the relocation and access and egress to Westward House is far better than the existing premises’ in general.”

Professor Nick Cooper of Catherine House Surgery said Westward House is “an ideal building, only 10 metres from the current surgery”, and that it would “meet the needs of an increasing number of patients, and at a time when the NHS is expanding services into the community”.

He continued: “The move has had full support from NHS England, South Devon and Torbay Clinical Commissioning Group and the surgery’s patient participation group, as well as full backing from our patients.

“Everyone at the practice is excited by the prospect of relocating, but we’ve been frustrated by the delay in planning permission for the ‘change of use’ of an existing building, which was submitted six months ago.”

The planning application was submitted in June for Catherine House Surgery, which is currently located on New Walk, to move across the road to Westward House, the former Job Centre building. Plans were submitted to change the building’s use from class B1 (offices) to class D1 (doctors’ surgery).

However, the Environment Agency objected, saying in its submission to planners that “the flood map for planning shows that the site is located within Flood Zone 3, defined as having a high probability of flooding. The change of use from offices (less vulnerable use) to a doctors’ surgery (more vulnerable use) will result in an increase in vulnerability to flooding and hence the consequences of any flooding.”

It pointed out that “in the 2003 event, numerous properties flooded in the Warlands area and the floodwater appears to reach the entrance of this building, and perhaps inside from the rear.”

Cllr Birch said: “The objections of the Environment Agency appear to be based on a ‘desktop’ assessment, without any regard for the fact that the current surgery operates a few metres away or to take into account the extensive flood-prevention works currently undertaken.

“It looks as though there’s no joined-up thinking or approach by the Environment Agency in this case.

“The proposal for the new surgery, with its greatly enhanced capacity, could not have come at a more opportune time to meet the increasing needs within the town and district arising from the considerable population growth in Totnes.

“The surgery has ambitious plans to meet the community health needs of the town and, in my opinion, there is not a good or valid reason as to why they shouldn’t be given permission to proceed.

“I would ask the community to support my call to the planners at South Hams to grant permission so as to allow the surgery to start implementing its plans to provide a much-needed community facility.”

Details of the Catherine House Surgery planning application can be seen on the SHDC planning website under 1820/18/FUL.