By Anna Whittaker, Local Democracy Reporter
A Nottinghamshire couple say they are concerned their house could be flooded again if 29 new homes are approved on a nearby former school site.
Carol and Colin Rowland’s home in Eastwood was flooded in September 2023.
The couple’s kitchen, garden and drive was destroyed by a flash flood from the building site nearby.
Avant Homes, which owns the old Lynncroft Primary School playing field where the rainwater escaped from, said at the time flood defences had failed.
The school buildings had been demolished after the site closed in 2017.
The site already has outline planning permission for up to 200 homes.
Now, plans for 29 homes – phase one of the development – will be decided on at a Broxtowe Borough Council planning meeting.
Separate plans for 104 homes were refused on the grounds of the
proposal being overbearing, overshadowing and overlooking issues upon the
immediate neighbouring properties last year.
That application is currently subject to an appeal awaiting a start date.
There is also outline planning permission for 60 assisted living apartments on the same site.
Councillors are recommended to approve the plans for 29 new homes at the meeting on February 7.
Mr and Mrs Rowland said they have been left thousands of pounds out of pocket as a result of the flood, and have not received compensation from Avant Homes.
They say the total damage was at least £16,000, although their insurance payout was only around £9,000.
Other properties on Garden Road were also affected.
Mrs Rowland told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “The 29 new homes won’t be directly behind our property.
“But it is a very busy area and I don’t think the road can take it.
“With 29 homes there will be more than 29 extra cars and it’s very congested as it is. It is a terrible idea.
“We’ve been flooded twice and the construction hasn’t even started yet.
“We are still trying to pick the pieces up from September. The water took everything with it. More than 40 years of a garden was wiped out, our block paving lifted and it flooded the kitchen.
“We are pensioners and it has made us both ill. We’ve had heavy rain before but never flooding like that.
“It is a worry that it could happen again.”
She said they would attend the planning meeting on February 7.
She added: “I’m hoping lessons have been learnt from what happened but I can’t be sure that it won’t happen again. There’s no guarantee.
“I hope with all my heart it doesn’t. We’re still living with the trauma of it.”
The council says the benefits of the scheme include a “wide range of
size and type of accommodation which would contribute to the delivery of housing stock within the Borough”.
Eastwood Town Council has objected to the application, raising concerns over the recent flooding.
Thirty three neighbours also responded to the plans, raising issues including the flood risk, inadequate road access, loss of valued green space and loss of privacy.
The council papers stated: “The benefits of the proposal are that the development would provide additional affordable housing, in a sustainable location, and which could contribute to the housing targets for the Borough and provide a wide range of size of housing to meet the needs of the community.”
Avant Homes declined to comment, but said after the September flooding it had improved flood defences at the site.
