A PROPOSAL to build 65 new homes in Honeybourne is facing backlash as residents fear the area prone to flooding will be made worse, affecting their homes.

Many neighbours attached their objections to the planning application for the development on the land off Stratford Road.

One neighbour wrote: "I object as this field is a hub for local outdoors activity, and fear the ways this will negatively affect existing homeowners, my family included. Flooding from this field is already a problem, with a substantial and long lasting surface water flood over the 2019-20 winter. We have serious concerns that building here will cause these water levels beside our plot to increase and cause flooding in our home."

Another neighbour said: "The field detailed in this planning application frequently floods in winter, often leading to the gardens of the properties at the North Western end of Harvard Avenue to flood as this is the only drainage route. Last winter while the weather was particularly wet the field remained water logged for many months and any slightly heavier rain leads to it overflowing into gardens. I've attached pictures of our garden at Harvard avenue and of the road where Harvard Avenue meets Dudley road showing the quantity of water that runs off the field in question. "

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Trevor Askew chair of Honeybourne Parish Council said: "Despite protestations via letter from the Parish Council, a well informed letter from a local resident, verbal presentations from the Chairman of the Parish Council and a strong argument against the application from the ward member, the application was approved. What a travesty the decision was to give outline planning permission for 65 new houses just months after the Honeybourne Neighbourhood Development Plan was published in April 2020, stating that only 50 should be built."

"The whole community thought they were doing the right thing to protect their village by writing the NDP, thought they were planning ahead for the next 5-10 years, having a say in the infrastructure and protecting their community. But it turns out the village would have been better protected if the had not written the NDP. "

Holly Jones, Director of Planning and Infrastructure for Wychavon District Council, said: “The application was considered by our Planning Committee on 15 October 2020. The committee approved the application in principle, subject to the completion of a section 106 legal agreement regarding affordable housing provision and developer contributions."

“The site is allocated in the adopted Honeybourne Neighbourhood Plan for at least 50 homes. The plans submitted show 65 homes can be sensitively accommodated along with a sufficient amount of green space."

“Although members were concerned about the number of homes on site, it was in line with the Neighbourhood Plan policy and whilst it sought to maximise the efficient use of land, a higher number is not a reason in itself for refusal. National planning policies and policies in the South Worcestershire Development Plan also need to be taken into account."

“An application for reserved matters – the full detail of the development – still needs to be submitted and approved. The applicant will need to demonstrate at that stage no harm will be caused by a cramped form of development."

“Our land drainage team have visited the site and looked in detail at the issue of flooding and there are no obvious grounds for refusal. We have attached several conditions relating to flooding. Work cannot start until we have received detailed information about how surface water will be managed on the site and we are satisfied it won’t lead to future flooding events or increased flood risk.”