PLANNERS seem set to approve proposals for a 109-room hotel beside the River Ouse, even though it would be against the authority’s own Strategic Flood Risk Assessment.

The site of the proposed Roomzzz ‘aparthotel’ off Terry Avenue is in what is classed as a high flood risk area. On the face of it, it seems extraordinary the authority should even consider it.

The Environment Agency is not objecting to the scheme outright, however. It has merely listed a number of conditions the building should satisfy to mitigate the risk of flooding.

These include an underground parking area which could be left to flood; keeping floor levels high; and providing safe escape routes for guests.

These are all eminently sensible conditions, and they help to illustrate what is becoming a fact of life for York. Flooding is not going to go away. If anything, thanks to climate change, it will only get worse. We needn’t necessarily allow this to dictate the way the city grows in the future, however - or where we can build.

The buzz word is resilience. Essentially, this means making sure buildings are equipped to cope with the floods: accepting that there will be times when they do flood, but ensuring they are designed so they are not damaged by this, and can quickly be brought back into use once the flood waters recede.

In short, we may need a whole new approach towards building in flood risk areas. But that doesn’t mean such areas should be out of bounds for development altogether.