Matlock: Flooding and sewage fears over 75-home development

An artist's impression on how the homes would look

A councillor has said a Derbyshire town is at "crisis point" due to flooding caused by heavy rainfall and an ageing sewer network.

Sue Burfoot made the comments during a Derbyshire Dales District Council planning committee over plans for 75 homes off Quarry Lane in Matlock.

Another councillor added raw sewage was discharged into the Bentley Brook at nearby Lumsdale 41 times last year.

The application was deferred for future consideration.

Problems over the town's flooding dominated the discussion, with councillors voicing concerns about a historic sewer network close to the site which was already regularly overflowing - spilling foul waste into the street, homes and a care home, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

'People being flooded'

Councillor Joanne Linthwaite told the meeting raw sewage was discharged into the Bentley Brook at nearby Lumsdale for a total of 212 hours.

She said residents were routinely seeing their homes flooded with ankle-deep brown water.

Ms Burfoot said: "We are at crisis point with flooding and sewage. Presentation Convent being flooded with sewage, people being flooded not once, but twice."

Sarah Wills, agent for the applicants, Homes by Honey, said drainage was not a consideration for the application, which had already been approved at outline stage, with this application seeking to tie up the final details.

She said there were seven drainage conditions agreed at the outline stage which sought to prevent flooding issues.

Chris Whitmore, the council's development manager, added deferring based on drainage could be deemed "unreasonable behaviour" because the issue did not form part of the application.

However councillors voted nearly unanimously to postpone the application.