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AT LEAST seven new homes have been approved next to a West Yorkshire village pub despite flooding fears from residents – as long as drainage is improved by the developer.
Last night, Calderdale Council’s Planning Committee approved in principle seven to nine dwellings in Bradshaw, west of Queensbury, on a strip of grazing land between The Golden Fleece pub and Bradshaw Primary School on Bradshaw Lane.
There were 39 letters of objection, but the Committee heard flooding concerns can be alleviated by the installation of an underground water storage tank proposed by the developer.
The Council’s flood risk assessment completed in May this year found no historical records of flooding on the site, including from the Environmental Agency or anecdotally.
But an undated photo of flooding outside the pub was submitted to Council in July, and a printed copy of the same photo was waved at councillors by Bradshaw resident Chris Major, who lives on Lynton Grove near the site.
The new homes are planned for a strip of grazing land next to The Golden Fleece pub in Bradshaw (Credit: Callum Cuddeford)
Bradshaw residents told the Local Democracy Reporting Service the photo was taken two years ago.
Mr Major told the meeting alternative photos put before the Committee of the development site on a ‘glorious summer’s day’ were ‘misleading’ and claimed the planning approval was ‘based on lies’.
But Chair Stephen Mycroft (Reform, Brighouse) assured Mr Major he had seen the photo and any decision would be ‘based on the evidence and policy’.
Cllr Katie Kimber (Labour, Luddendenfoot) added: ‘We do our due diligence before the committees.’
The site is a Critical Drainage Area, but councillors heard the proposed storage tank would reduce the run-off rate from 3.7 litres per second to 1.8 litres per second during a one in 100-year storm.
Details of the drainage system – including whether a pump or gravity system will be required – are to be finalised at a ‘technical details consent stage’, meaning permission can still be withdrawn.
Planning officer Osian Perks said: ‘If the site can’t be made safe, and it increases flood risk elsewhere, we can refuse a technical details consent application.’
A flood authority officer said the Council has requested investigations into the area since the 2015 Boxing Day floods, but the developer would need to do their own probes.
The officer explained surface water flooding in fields to the north of the site had contributed to flooding at the pub, and there had been internal discussions about a capital scheme to manage the flood risk.
Councillors were shown the proposed solution to the flooding concerns - an underground storage tank (Credit: Calderdale Council)
Infiltration testing by the Flood Risk Authority showed ‘variable infiltration characteristics’ in the soil, but the same council report said drainage would be achieved by reducing the run-off rate with the underground tank and by routing excess water to an existing drainage channel.
Opposing the development in a letter, Cllr Andrew Tagg (Reform, Illingworth and Mixenden) wrote: ‘Fundamental questions remain unanswered about flood drainage.’
Cllr Tagg also raised concerns about highway safety during busy school-run times, and the capacity and resilience of the sewage network.
An objection raised by a resident in August alleged ‘repeated evidence of raw sewage and foul waste’ including ‘toilet waste, toilet paper and foul-smelling solid matter’ entering the watercourse behind their home on Lynton Grove.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service understands from residents that Yorkshire Water have been investigating sewage concerns with dye tests.
The site has been designated Grey Belt land, which is land within the Green Belt that does not strongly contribute to core Green Belt purposes.
Green Belt purposes are checking unrestricted sprawl; preventing neighbourhoods merging; and preserving the special character of an area.
The planning team said the proposed site would not increase the spread of the village as it is in the middle of Bradshaw, running alongside the main road between the pub’s beer garden and the primary school.
The planning committee had no questions for the applicant Mr J. Robertshaw.
The motion to allow planning permission in principle was passed with two votes in favour and four abstentions.