Kind of buried the lede.
However, despite the council’s approval on Wednesday, the plans still face an uncertain future, after Brompton revealed earlier this month that its pre-tax profits had plunged by over 99 per cent from £10.7m in 2023 to just £4,602 for the year ending March 2024.
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According to the agency, the proposed factory and headquarters, set to be built on a 100-acre Zone 3b floodplain, could be prone to flooding and lead to the loss of local wildlife. Flood Zone 3b refers to land known as a functional floodplain, where water from rivers or the sea has to flow or be stored during a flood.
So this isn't just wildlife preservation folks missing the mark; they have what seem to be legitimate concerns about the project. I used to work on a study that looked at the cost of active vs passive wetland restoration, and I can assure you, active restoration isn't cheap (which is what the company is proposing). If they're so cash-poor, will they even be able to afford restoring a wetland? What happens if they start on the construction but go bankrupt? What if they experience flooding greater than planned?
Helping to grow alternative travel methods is good, but if I lived there, I would be worried, too.