Flood risk for 23 new homes in Darley Dale will be ‘mitigated’

Chevin Homes, based in Derby, has submitted plans to build 23 homes off Normanhurst Park, between the A6 and the River Derwent in Darley Dale.

Derbyshire Dales District Council will make a decision on the scheme in the next few months.

If approved, the scheme would sit a couple of fields north of another Chevin Homes development for 57 houses off Bakewell Road, opposite Whitworth Hospital, approved in early 2020.

That scheme was approved despite significant concerns over flooding, with the site largely underwater throughout the 2019 floods, resulting in the proposed homes being raised by a couple of metres.

In a report submitted with the 23-home plans, planning design details that the plot behind Galliford Try’s HQ and another recent housing development was earmarked for homes in the district council’s Local Plan.

It details that the site lies within Flood Zone 1, having a one in 1,000 years probability of flooding.

The report says two underground attenuation tanks would be installed to collect floodwater and other infrastructure would also be put in place in a bid to prevent flooding.

It says: “The application proposes suitable mitigation measures to ensure that surface water from the site is appropriately disposed of at no greater than existing greenfield runoff rates.”

District council officers have previously said that developers do not have to solve flooding issues but must avoid making them worse than the current situation. The same goes for congestion and parking concerns.

The scheme would have three two-bed houses, 10 three-bed houses, three four-bed houses, four one-bed flats and three two-bed flats – the flats would be “affordable housing”.

It would have 62 car parking spaces and 10 spaces to store bikes.

The district council has asked for the plans to be tweaked to ensure that protected nearby trees are not harmed.

A report on the plans says: “The provision of 23 much needed new homes should be seen as a significant benefit of the scheme.

“It will contribute to Derbyshire Dales’ five-year housing land supply and will provide attractive housing, particularly for younger people, young families and the older population.“The proposed new homes will provide for the housing needs of the current population but also create homes for future generations.

“A broad mix of housing will mean that the development provides something for everyone – first-time buyers, families, the elderly and downsizers.

“It is acknowledged that these social benefits would not be unique to this proposal, as similar benefits would be likely to flow from any new housing development within the district. “However, the location of the site, close to town centre services and transport links, will allow this new element of the community to flourish.

“The social benefits do represent real, tangible benefits for the wider community.

“It is considered that the benefits of the proposal far outweigh any very limited negative effects.”