How many extensions

[maltaron]

A house in our hamlet has had 3 extensions including a "granny" flat. The property is on an unmade lane which is subject to flooding, mainly from a tarmac parking area of over 400 square meters at the property, this area drains to the lane and was constructed without planning consent. Despite many objections from residents in the hamlet the local council has granted permission for another house on the lawn at the property. This will cause further water runoff and major damage to an already almost unpassable lane, due to construction traffic. Is the council acting lawfully in granting this permission?

 

[roboughton]

A house in our hamlet has had 3 extensions including a "granny" flat. The property is on an unmade lane which is subject to flooding, mainly from a tarmac parking area of over 400 square meters at the property, this area drains to the lane and was constructed without planning consent. Despite many objections from residents in the hamlet the local council has granted permission for another house on the lawn at the property. This will cause further water runoff and major damage to an already almost unpassable lane, due to construction traffic. Is the council acting lawfully in granting this permission?

Do the plans not cater for drainage?

When my plans were drawn up and approved I had to have drain off for surface water which was soakaways.

 

[^woody^]

This will cause further water runoff and major damage to an already almost unpassable lane

Is that a fact or just your opinion because you're not happy with the development?

Drainage is normally specified or conditoned on the plans, and will in any case be dealt with via building control

 

[maltaron]

It is Fact. Following Storm Katie on Sunday night 9 of the able bodied men in the Hamlet spent their bank holiday clearing the road below the proposed development of debris (broken rock and stone) and reinstating on the lane, the run off from the car park at the property had totally washed away the lane. I should point out that this lane is in an Heritage Area and also provides the only access to a water treatment and pumping station, had there been a problem there on Monday it would have been impossible for a vehicle to access it. Several residents pointed out all this information to the council during the planning application. In the past 5 years since the car park was tarmacked this flooding damage has occurred 6 times during bad weather.

 

[^woody^]

If the other house has not been built yet, then how do you know that it will add to the flooding issue?

If the drainage is taken care of in th enew build, then the situation wont get any worse, and the existing situation is distinct from the approval for the new house.

Are you aware of the drainage proposals for the new build? Have you reviewed the approval notice and any conditions?

 

[maltaron]

Thanks for your interest, Woody. I have read the approval notice and there is a condition that an acceptable system of surface water must be approved before commencement. However, my question was regarding the number of extensions allowed on and around a dwelling. I have also just read the flood risk assessment, which, hidden in a load of calculations, states that the access lane is not subject to surface flooding, strange that it has flooded at least twice in every year and twice in the last three weeks.