Flooding concerns are raised in plan for 180 new homes near Chesterfield

An application for full planning permission for bungalows and two-storey houses north of Spindle Drive and east of Deerlands Road, Wingerworth has been submitted by Rippon Homes to North East Derbyshire District Council. The authority granted outline planning consent for the proposed development on open farmland in 2018.

Several of the 30 objections to the council highlight flooding issues. Carole Allen wrote: "Having driven during very heavy rain, the manhole covers towards the bottom of Deerlands Road were lifting. They could not cope with the amount of rain falling. I have seen this happen many times before in my 45 years having lived in Wingerworth. If these 180 houses are to be built on open fields which at the moment collects a substantial amount of water, where will this water go?”

Another objection from C. McNally of New Road Wingerworth said: “The new houses built in the last couple of years off Deerlands Road are built on the flood plains leading to flooding, where will surface water go with another 180 houses in that same locality?”

Becky Hinchley said: "I am about to spend £500 having my own private work done to stop sewage backing up in to my property, having had recent concrete around the house break and my sewage pipes keep failing because of the back up of sewage and pressure. Our infrastructure cannot take it and I cannot live with sewage spills every time it rains or have further damage because of the build up in pressure. My property was built in the 50s and no one has had the problems that we are facing since the arrival of all the new houses in the area.”

Claire and Christopher Chatham commented: “We live on Joseph Fletcher Drive and when there is any heavy rain the drains get blocked and our drains cannot drain into the main system which causes our toilets to burp and water to back up. Yorkshire Water has acknowledged this as the reason for the problems we have and unless a major upgrade is planned, we believe if 180 homes are added then all that waste water will cause the system to be at capacity sooner and impact on our home with the likely result of sewage flooding into our home.”

Objectors to the plans have highlighted the strain on other essential services.

Melissa Canlin of Orchid Way, Wingerworth stated: “After moving to a new build it took me nearly a year to get my eight-year-old into a local school and I still cannot get my four-year-old into school. He is desperate to go and gets so upset that there is no space for him. My kids need education, there are already too many houses and nothing being provided to the people."

Councillor Neil Baker wrote: “Just to keep adding more and more houses in Wingerworth without any uprating of the infrastructure, school places or other service provisions, seems to make no sense to me.”

The council’s decision on the application for full planning permission is pending.