Anxiety began to mount more than a year ago, when 21 houses began to be built at the end of her garden. It is one of several developments in the Tonbridge area. Tonbridge and Malling borough council says the flood plain is a feature of the area and that all environment agency recommendations have been followed to prevent flooding of the new houses. Mrs Palmer does not doubt it, but fears the water will find other places to go. A council official told us that the flood plain stops before our garden, but that's crazy.
Water flows in a curve.
The ground is sponge, and if you build on it water just gets pushed elsewhere. She pointed to the hedge that separates her home from the new development. There's a golf course under there. Mrs Palmer said she was one of the lucky ones. Her neighbour, Victoria Allport, who moved into her house in June, had to bail out her basement when the rains came.