Newark and Sherwood District Council planning committee vote to allow changes to housing development on Nottingham Road, Southwell, despite flooding fears
Proposed changes to a housing development were carried on a majority vote by a district council planning committee, despite potential flood risks.
The changes to the development, proposed to build 38 dwellings on Nottingham Road, Southwell, meant two housing types of the plan will be varied.
For house type A, the Newark and Sherwood District Council committee voted to omit chimneys from the gable ends of the buildings and to slightly change the position of them on the central ridges.
Changes to house type C will mean the removal of linked garages to create detached houses; a simplified roof design; a revised layout to accommodate ground floor utility rooms; increased bedroom space to all first floor bedrooms; and a study.
The application relates to around 1.92 hectares of land situated on the western side of Nottingham Road.
The gradient of the site rises steeply by 14 metres towards the western boundary.
Southwell Town Council raised concern over the potential flood risk as the site’s drainage system was not yet linked with the highway.
Members of the district council committee echoed that fear and said there was often a lot of water coming from the site.
“This particular application is not easy,” said Malcom Brock, a committee member.
“The floor space of type C has been increased significantly and I’m told there’s a need for the drainage to be reassessed — I’m afraid that adds to my anxiety.
“Local feelings are running high on surface water.”
The residential plan hopes to convert and extend the existing property on the site, Springfield Bungalow, to form 12 supported living units out of the proposed 38 dwellings.
Although planning permission was granted in 2017, the possible demolition of the existing bungalow is still under consideration.
Maureen Dobson, a fellow committee member, also raised issue with the drainage, and said: “We have suffered from flooding for a long time and this site has always created a lot of water.
“It’s very unfair on residents that we keep droning on.”
The council’s planning officer, Lisa Hughes, said the county council was satisfied with the drainage in the proposal, but said until the drainage inside the site was linked with the outside, there would be problems.
The meeting was told the applicant, Springfield Eco Ltd, would need to submit its plan to link the drainage system within 14 days of permission being granted.
Mrs Dobson said she wanted to see a date as to how quickly the drainage could be connected.
“I would like a commitment and that we put deadlines or timelines on doing that,” she said.
“It is something we can achieve.”
Fellow committee member Laurence Goff said despite potential flood risk, he was happy about the access and parking provision on the site.
Following the planning meeting, an application for road closure to carry out the drainage works was submitted by the applicant within the 14 days specified.
The road closure is to take place between March 23 and 27.
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