Derbyshire residents voice flooding fears again after new photos emerge of waterlogged housing site
New photos of a water-logged housing development site in Matlock have provoked a fresh swell of concerns about predicted flooding issues – but the developer insists it is doing everything necessary to protect the community.
Housebuilder Honey is constructing 75 new homes on former greenfield land opposite Matlock Golf Club, on Chesterfield Road, but the scheme has been dogged by criticism for several years.
Initial planning permission was granted by the previous Conservative administration at Derbyshire Dales District Council (DDDC) in 2022, and by the time the current regime attempted to halt the development in January this year their legal position left little room for manoeuvre, despite councillors voicing serious concerns about flood risks.
All that helps explains why photos of standing water on a muddy construction site in mid-summer hold extra significance, and sparked another outbreak of discussion in local online forums this week.
Among those sharing their opinion was local resident Sharon Briddon, who has spent years fighting off a development on the other side of Chesterfield Road, again based on flood concerns.
Sharon said: “A huge layer of clay below means impermeability and run off. The only water getting through the clay are the springs that will diverts to the next permeable exit. God help the poor people below as their gardens will be quagmires, and in heavy rain who knows.”
Though other residents have pointed out that without the intended drainage infrastructure it is too early to judge the impact of the development, doubts persist over whether the plans will ever do enough to protect homes and workplaces from the kind of frequent flooding seen in Matlock in recent years.
Councillor David Hughes, who represents the Matlock East ward, said: “The DDDC planning committee deferred this application when it came before it over concerns about drainage and overloading the sewer running down Lumsdale that is already discharging when it rains hard at several points onto the road.
“We deferred on the grounds that we needed more information about how the developers planned to mitigate the problems.”
He added: “Derbyshire Dales was threatened with legal action by the developer for acting illegally by deferring the application. When it came back to the planning committee it was passed under duress. If we had not passed it, we would have ultimately lost at appeal.
“We have just lost a similar case – Wyaston Road in Ashbourne – at appeal. We are now faced with legal fees and consultant engineers' fees. It is not good use of taxpayer's money.”
He went on to praise the efforts and acquired expertise of residents who have been leading grassroots efforts to scrutinise flood and drainage issues, often producing different conclusions to the relevant authorities, Derbyshire County Council and Severn Trent Water.
With the new Labour government promising to reduce planning obstacles and build more houses, the council may find itself in similar positions again in future, but Councillor Hughes says the authority is doing everything it can to defend local interests.
He said: “Derbyshire Dales is now assessing what it can do to ensure that it gets the necessary input into planning decisions. This is difficult because the law and government policy is heavily biased in favour of development and against input from residents to planning decisions.
“We are working desperately hard on these issues. Several Matlock councillors have put in a lot of time, effort and emotion into trying to understand and address the drainage and sewer problems here and elsewhere in Derbyshire Dales.
“Any solution will have to be within the powers of a district council and stand up legally and in relation to government planning guidelines. These legal issues must be addressed.”
Asked by the Derbyshire Times whether the images gave the developer pause for thought, a Honey spokesperson insisted all the necessary precautions have been accounted for.
They said: “We are aware of the waterlogging which has occurred at our development in Matlock. This is due to a period of rainfall naturally accumulating in areas of the site which have been excavated.
“We appreciate residents’ concerns regarding flooding, which is why we undertook detailed investigations and full engineering feasibility designs to support our development.”
They added: “This included liaising closely with Severn Trent Water, which confirmed our development will have no adverse impact upon the existing sewage and drainage network.
“We have also implemented measures to ensure any surface water runoff from the site is effectively managed to mitigate any waterlogging or flooding.”