Concerns are mounting over whether residents’ knowledge of local flooding issues is taken sufficiently seriously by planning authorities after the Environment Agency lifted its objection over a proposal to develop over pastureland just yards from a river.
The calls to give greater weight to the experiences of residents come three months after North Yorkshire County Council approved a move to take more account of local knowledge and give communities a greater role in managing flood risk.
The authority’s elected members have also underlined the need for the council to take into account local communities local knowledge of drainage and flood risk issues when responding to consultations, strategies and crucially, when deciding what land should be developed.
Since learning of a developer’s proposal to develop an access road to four bungalows over a natural flood basin beside the Cod Beck in South Kilvington, residents who have lived in the village for decades have warned the scheme would be likely to exacerbate flooding issues, particularly a mile downstream in Thirsk.
However, in documents submitted to Hambleton District Council, agents for the developer have claimed their scheme off Beck Lane would continue the
organic growth of the village.
They state: “The proposed development although comprising a field, would not entirely remove it.
“The western end seeks to retain the semi-rural character of the immediate locality.”
Agents for the developers said a flood risk assessment had confirmed a small section of the site situated in flood zones 2 and 3, which the Environment Agency found had a “medium probability” of flooding.
After initially being consulted over the plan, the agency objected to the scheme, adding it would necessary for the application to demonstrate the development would be safe without increasing flood risk elsewhere.
However, after being supplied with evidence by the developer the agency has since removed its objection, saying the agency was now “in a position where we are able to remove our objection”.
South Kilvington resident David Wright, who has lived overlooking the site for 36 years, said part of the proposed development site regularly flooded from the Cod Beck.
He said: “The Environment Agency originally agreed with us that this was on a floodplain, and this proposal will cause a tremendous amount of water displacement which is going to affect houses in Thirsk where already 76 houses flood when the Cod Beck does.
“With all the development that is going on in the Thirsk area, to jeopardise existing properties for the sake of building four houses seems too high a risk to take.”
Another objector, Judith Tyson, said the Cod Beck often flooded twice a year at the site.
She said: “People making decisions should listen to local people more because they have lived there. It’s the residents and businesses in Finkle Street in Thirsk that will be affected.”
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