Eastwood: Plan for new homes rejected after flooding

Plans for 29 homes on a former school playing field site have been rejected after flooding to nearby properties.

Broxtowe Borough Council has refused permission for the houses on the site of the former Lynncroft Primary School in Eastwood, Nottinghamshire.

A number of existing homes near the site flooded in September and councillors said they feared new buildings would make the problem worse.

Developer Avant Homes said it was disappointed with the decision.

Outline planning permission for 200 homes on the site, in Lynncroft, has already been approved but the council's planning committee turned down specific proposals for the first phase of scheme in a meeting on Wednesday.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said the site's flood defences had failed, during heavy rain in September, when a dam built by Avant Homes collapsed.

The committee was told that had led to water escaping into the neighbouring properties.

In a statement, read at the meeting, Avant Homes said it had a drainage strategy to address flooding concerns.

However, councillors unanimously refused the application.

Committee chairman, councillor Greg Marshall, said there was a "significant concern" about engagement between the developer and neighbours.

Ward councillor for the area, Bob Bullock, told the committee: "Following recent flooding to many local properties, I would submit that the developers are not a fit and proper organisation and residents have no confidence in their ability to manage the development of this site.

"Since its allocation, the site has fundamentally changed and has caused massive upset and disruption to local people.

"This is a site that should've never been granted permission.

"On the day of the flooding, I was there with residents when the representative from Avant Homes arrived. He said 'don't worry, we will put things right'.

"It is five months later and Avant is still denying liability."

Residents Carol and Colin Rowland, said the flooding caused £16,000 worth of damage to their kitchen, garden and drive and they had not yet received any compensation.

Avant Homes said it could not comment on the compensation as the matter had been passed to insurers.

However, a spokesperson said after the September flooding it had improved flood defences at the site.

A council planning officer told the committee that developing the site would improve the flooding situation as drainage would be installed.

The school closed in 2017, its buildings have since been demolished, and the land has been allocated for housing in the council's local plan.

In its statement to the meeting, the developer said the scheme would help tackle a national housing crisis and provide three affordable homes.

"There will be no detrimental impact on immediate neighbours in respect of overlooking, overbearing or noise," the statement added.

After the meeting, an Avant spokesman said: "We are disappointed with the committee's decision, particularly as our application had been recommended for approval by the council's planning officers.

"We will review our position and consider all the options available to us."

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