Objectors raise flood risk concerns over Melton riverside housing plan

Members of Melton Borough Council’s planning committee will discuss the outline scheme, which would involve 10 new homes being built off Asfordby Road, at their latest meeting on Thursday.

Judith Bryce and Maureen Berry have applied to carry out the development on land south of Cleves Close which is close to the bank of the River Eye and which is now a redundant small holding with sheds and outbuildings.

The council has received 18 letters of objection from 15 households, citing issues such as the risk of flooding, the prospects of views to the river being spoiled, extra traffic pressures on local roads and disruption to wildlife living in the vicinity.

However, council planning officials are recommending the scheme is approved with financial contribution to be made to local infrastructure and mitigation features introduced to reduce flood risk and protect the habitats of species such as otters, voles, kingfishers, badgers and great-crested newts.

A report to go before councillors contains comments from the Environment Agency which says conditions need to be made on any planning permission to ensure there is no flooding on the site and also that a 10-metre wide buffer zone be included to preserve wildlife in the area.

Council planning officers say in the report: “Local objectors have expressed concerns over the impact of developing in the flood plain and the potential for increasing flood potential elsewhere in the locality.

“Both the Environment Agency and Lead Local Flood Authority have raised no objection to the development of the site subject to conditions.

“Whilst these local concerns are acknowledged it is a consideration that both Cleves Close and Melbourne Drive are on rising ground above the flood plain level and development is to be restricted to the flood zone 1 area.

“On balance it is considered that with appropriate mitigation and compliance with recommended conditions the proposal is acceptable.”

The report adds: “Third party objectors have raised a significant number of concerns as to the impact of a development of the site on wildlife seen on the land and this has resulted in further discussions with the ecology advisors which have concluded that subject to further surveys and a wildlife management approach the biodiversity of the site can be accommodated within a residential development on the site.”

Leicestershire Highways Authority has made no objections to the proposed access via Cleves Close, which is an unadopted highway, but they would seek a financial contribution to the approved partial bypass of the town, the Melton Mowbray Distributor Road (MMDR), of £86,530.

Other Section 106 contrbutions should also be sought, the report states, for local education (£122,222) plus health and library services.

Details to do with the layout of the new properties would have to be approved at a later stage when a full planning application is submitted.