Residents oppose housing over flooding concerns in Digby village
Plans for new homes in a village which has suffered repeated flooding are recommended by officers for approval, despite residents saying they would undoubtedly make problems worse.
Grainfield Developments Ltd has applied to build 35 new homes in Digby, near Sleaford.
North Kesteven District Council officers have recommended that the build on Station Road is given permission at a meeting next week.
However, the application led to strong opposition from local people, with one labelling it “insane”.
A couple who live on nearby Beck Street spoke about the damage flooding had caused in the last two years.
“We have witnessed a serious flooding catastrophe at the end of 2023 which caused considerable damage to our neighbours’ homes, and which came alarmingly close to our own home,” they wrote.
“In the last 36 hours, we have seen another potentially serious flooding hazard in the village with the Beck reaching the limits of its banks and with foul water visibly overflowing from drains.
“It was luck that the flooding did not get any worse on this occasion.
“For these reasons, both my husband and I strongly object to the insane proposal to build an entire new ‘estate’ of new houses at the bottom of Beck Street/Station Road.
“With no plans for any tangible support for an increase in investment in the current water infrastructure, this will be a recipe for a massive increase in the village’s risk of flooding.”
Another resident wrote: “To build another large number of properties concentrated in one area, without any significant mediation and rectification to the existing flood defences and contingencies, would not only be negligent and unprofessional, but also undoubtedly callous.”
Others predicted that it would force water onto properties on Chestnut Close.
Another resident told the council the development would be “impractical, unsustainable and inappropriate for the village and would inevitably detract from what it is currently a pleasant small rural village”.
Councillor Amelia Bailey has asked that the planning committee consider whether it would create an unacceptable flooding risk.
A report by council officers says that the village already has flooding issues and further houses wouldn’t exacerbate them, as the properties are downstream of the main village.
In planning documents from Grainfield Developments they propose that ground floor levels of the homes are raised 0.15m above ground levels and 0.3m of flood resilient construction above the finished floor level. Surface water run-off from the development was also handled in a drainage strategy, including outfalls designed to accommodate a one in a 100-year storm event with a 40 per cent allowance for Climate Change, discharging into a flood relief channel. An attenuation pond will store water up 1.3m in depth with safety fencing, signage and lifebuoys.
They stated in the reports that all three outfalls into the Flood Relief Channel “make no appreciable impact (4mm) on water levels in the channel”, as the flows from the site would have dissipated before the channel reaches its
peak.
Anglian Water says the existing sewerage system is of sufficient capacity to accept foul water flows, but have stated that the Rowston Water Recycling Centre does not have sufficient capacity and have requested a that development is scheduled and phased to align with planned upgrades to the WRC scheduled between 2025-2030.
The Environment Agency added that additional flows could lead to the WRC exceeding its permit limits, which could cause pollution of a tributary of Dorrington Dike and required acceptable plans to be in place.
It will be decided at a planning meeting on Tuesday, February 4.