By Jamie Waller, Local Democracy Reporter
Anyone who moves into a proposed housing development next to the River Meden could be trapped in their homes by floodwater, locals fear.
The development is off Fackley Road in Teversal, which was flooded during the heavy downpour of Storm Babet last month.
The Teversal, Skegby and Stanton Hill Neighbourhood Forum say this has been a problem for years, and a nearby development would only exacerbate it.
However, Ashfield District Council planning officers don’t believe homes would be at risk, and have recommended they are approved.
The proposal from Persimmon Homes will go before Ashfield District Council’s planning committee on Wednesday, December 6.
It includes 124 two to four-bedroom homes, with 12 being affordable or social housing.
The designs also include a pond to catch water to reduce flood risk on the site.
Richard Goad, writing on behalf of the neighbourhood forum, said: “Whilst [Storm Babet] was an extreme weather event, flooding of the road has been recorded for many years and is caused by surface water run-off.
“The two new roads providing access and egress to the development meet Fackley Road close to the flooding zone.
“Residents of the new homes could effectively be trapped within the site, or unable to access their homes by road.
“Fackley Road is several metres below that of the development site. An increase in impermeable surface created by the development means that any run-off would exacerbate the flooding issue.”
He called for the flooding issue to be resolved before the planning application was decided on.
Persimmon Homes say they have “robust drainage strategies” in place.
“We have worked extensively with the Environmental Agency and Lead Local Flood Authority to ensure the site adheres to all flood risk mitigation measures and both authorities have deemed the site to be compliant with these measures, with no objections raised to the application,” a spokesperson said.
“All of the proposed plots on the development are outside of the corridor of the River Meden. The floor levels of all proposed homes are sat high, outside of flood event limits, which means that all future residents would not be affected by any extreme weather event.”
An expert report submitted by the applicant says flood risk on the actual site is considered to be “low and acceptable”.
The application has been called in by Councillor Helen-Ann Smith (Ash Ind) on the grounds of highway safety and ecological impact.
Comments from at least 70 residents were also received by the council, with some warning that local schools and doctors’ surgeries were already oversubscribed.
Persimmon Homes would be required to contribute around £986,000 to the local community which will help to meet this demand.
