Flood concerns raised as homes plan decision due

Landowner Merton College said the proposed homes would “improve, not worsen, the current flooding situation”

Residents have said they are “disappointed” over plans to build hundreds of new homes on land “prone to flooding”.

The proposal to build 540 dwellings near Rutten Lane in Yarnton, Oxfordshire, were initially rejected by Cherwell District Council and Oxfordshire County Council.

Both councils now appear to have dropped reservations over flooding after accepting developers’ claims the new homes would not add to flood risk.

Oxfordshire County Council said its original objection was based on “lack of information”.

A planning appeal hearing was launched in February by landowner Merton College after the councils initially rejected the proposals.

A spokesperson for Oxfordshire County Council said: “The developer subsequently provided information on how the site was to be developed in line with national and local standards and there were a number of site visits to the area."

They said the information provided from the sustainable drainage systems scheme for this site was appropriate and the county council "therefore withdrew its objection”.

Yarnton parish councillor Steven Smith said: “We are rather disappointed. The inspector hasn’t really taken on board our concerns.”

He said councillors had "failed to see what locals are having to live with", adding that some areas were more prone than others.

He said residents were not invited to site visits and there did not seem to be "any strategy for “dealing with the flooding”.

Heavy rainfall in 2021 left many of Yarnton’s roads submerged under water.

But planning agents for Merton College said the proposed homes would “improve, not worsen, the current flooding situation”.

Green councillor Ian Middleton said: “Much as I appreciate that the county council is bound by the limitations of national planning guidance, they have done precious little to ensure that this development will not make a difficult situation in Yarnton even worse.”

The county council said there was a long list of proposals that were being looked at by the flood group to improve resilience of the local community.

A Cherwell District spokesperson said the evidence had been submitted to the Planning Inspector and it was awaiting the inspector's decision.