Last updated at 14:02, Friday, 02 November 2012

Building work should be stopped on a new housing scheme at Flimby’s Ryehill Farm until flooding issues are resolved.

That was the message from Maryport Town Council this week.

The council heard that gardens and garages on School Drive and Mason Terrace were flooded during heavy rain because of the nearby Barratt Homes housing development.

The council agreed to write to Allerdale council about the problem.

Kevin Kerrigan, Allerdale council head of development, said: “We are looking into the concerns highlighted by the town council and local residents regarding drainage issues at this site.”

The problems were raised on Monday when Maryport council’s planning committee was asked to comment on an application from Barratt Homes to change the design of four new houses on the site.

Coun Carol Tindall said that no more houses should be allowed until the flood issue was resolved.

She said: “The original planning application called on Barratt Homes to build large settling tanks to take the water during heavy rains.

“This was never done and, somehow, the company received permission to install pipes to pipe the water off the land.

“The Barratt development is about three feet above all the surrounding houses and the water flows down into their gardens.”

Joseph Hayton, 87, of School Drive, said that every time there was heavy rain his garden flooded.

Brian Atkinson and Suzanne Lightfoot, of Mason Drive, said their garden became sodden and the rainwater flooded their garage.

Ms Lightfoot said: “Water runs down from the Pennygill beck and from the woods. Where the houses have been built there was a pond. Older residents remember skating on it. The settling tanks would have helped but they never went in.”

A Barratt spokesman said: “At planning stage, Barratt consulted both the Environment Agency and United Utilities regarding drainage and all necessary approvals were subsequently put in place.

“Work has been carried out in line with these approvals.”

First published at 11:50, Friday, 02 November 2012
Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk