Plans to build homes in Brigsley refused due to flooding concerns

PLANS to build seven homes in Brigsley have been rejected because of concerns about flooding.

Councillors yesterday voted to refuse the proposed development on Mushroom Farm, off Waltham Road, much to the delight of local residents.

The application by Paul Hanson had been deferred from last month's meeting of North East Lincolnshire's planning committee to enable a site visit to be conducted.

And despite assurances from Anglian Water that the existing drainage system on Waltham Road would be upgraded, members of the committee said they wanted proof that the new system worked before giving the green light to any new development.

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The proposed development would see the existing bungalow on the site demolished and replaced by six homes within a newly-built barn and one detached property.

The site is located immediately to the south of the housing estate on Brigsley Grange Close.

Waltham Road resident Noel Barker told the committee that since the new housing estate had been built, his home had been flooded with foul sewage several times.

He said: "In the nine years prior to the floods of 2007 I didn't have any problems at the property. Since then I have been inconvenienced 23 times."

He said that the eight-inch pipe underneath Waltham Road could not cope with the flood water and that the proposed development would add to the problem.

Architect Ross Davy, speaking on behalf of the applicant, said the new pump would solve the problem.

Mark Cawood, planning and building control manager at council partner Balfour Beatty, said Anglian Water was due to start work on the new system next month.

Councillor Iain Colquhoun (Con, Waltham), said: "I'm not yet convinced that this problem will be solved. Anglian Water say they are going to do something but how do we know it's going to work? I would like to see it work first before potentially adding to the problem."

Jake Newby, the council's lead planning officer, strongly advised the committee against refusing the application, saying it would be "quite difficult" to defend an appeal on those grounds.

However, councillors voted by six to four to reject the application.