By Lauren Monaghan, Junior Local Democracy Reporter
Eastwood residents whose gardens were impacted by a flash flood from a building site last year have been left ‘disgusted’ and ‘angry’ after a year-long silence from the housing developer involved in the damage.
Property developer Avant Homes owns the old Lynncroft Primary School playing field that sits behind Garden Road, a quiet residential street, and has plans to build 104 new homes on the site.
Their plans to build the homes were initially blocked by Broxtowe Borough Council, but an appeal to the planning inspectorate by the developers saw the scheme now approved.
Last September, homeowners on the road suffered substantial damage to their gardens and properties after flood defences at the site failed, allowing built-up rainwater from the development to descend down the hill.
Living on the road for 43 years, Carol and Colin Rowland’s garden and driveway were severely impacted, leading to around £16,000 worth of repairs, with their insurance only covering about two thirds.
Carol said: “They stripped the land, that’s why the flooding came, there was no proper drainage in.
“We’re trying to get back to some normality in the garden and put things right because we were left with nothing after the flood.”
Now, almost a year later, the couple have been left with limited answers and no apology from the company.
Carol said “We’ve had nothing from Avant [Homes], no help- they’ve not even enquired to see how we are.
“It just makes you so angry, they’re such a big company and yet two pensioners here are out of pocket because of the damage they caused.”
Colin’s mental health suffered after the flooding and he sought professional support, but the uncertainty of future flooding is still on his mind.
He said: “When it first happened I just couldn’t cope with it and over the Christmas period I was up in the middle of the night and I was asleep on the floor, or I was up in the yard.
“[His doctor] said it was like a bereavement and it will get better, which it has.
“I’m a bit worried whenever it rains, whenever it’s storming, I’m up in the middle of the night looking at the bank expecting it to give way at any time.”
Retired Alan Gent’s garden was also harmed by the flood, with his property insurance also unable to get any response from the developers.
He said: “Our property insurance has more than doubled since last year, it’s been a big financial hit to us.
“Avant Homes don’t want to know, [our insurance company] didn’t get anywhere at all.
“I’m disgusted really, they caused the problem or their contractor caused the problem and they ought to take responsibility for it.”
Avant Homes expect to start the building on the site this September.
An Avant Homes spokesperson said: “Following last year’s flooding incident, we implemented a robust surface water management plan on the site.
“This was to mitigate the risk of further flooding until we were granted planning permission for our development and no further flooding incidents on the site have occurred since then.
“The detailed permanent drainage proposals for the site, as required by conditions within the outline planning permission, were approved by Broxtowe Borough Council on 20 December 2023. Now we have reserved matters approval, the drainage systems can be implemented.
“It is our intention to start work on site this September, with the initial phase of construction being the implementation of the permanent drainage solution.”
