Norton residents unite against homes plan near duck pond

A succession of planning applications have been defeated by protesters who are going into battle again against the latest bid to develop the site.

In the latest application Kevin Linfoot has applied to build six houses on the plot within a stones throw of the duck pond at Lakeside on a site that regularly floods.

The proposed development first appeared before planners in 2015 – and amended permission has just been applied for again for the second time in the last five months.

The plans would see a much used footpath between Welham Road and Langton Road, bisected by a road and result in the destruction of a space populated by a host of wildlife, which is hugely valued by residents. The public footpath is used daily by dozens of people, including many children going to school.

Residents also argue that as the land is subject to flooding, any development would make this situation worse, potentially impacting nearby properties on Springfield Garth.

Cllr Dinah Keal, Mayor of Norton, said: “We are amazed that we are having to fight yet another attempt to build on this land.

“Plans have been thrown out on every occasion and it is beginning to feel that this is an attempt to sneak it past the planners through sheer persistence, despite the complete unsuitability of the land for development.

“However residents still stand determinedly against the plans, with over 40 people attending a Norton town council meeting when it was discussed in January.

“The site provides an important green space in a heavily residential area – it would be a tragedy to lose this land to development – we do need homes, but they have to be in the right place and definitely not in an area that is subject to flooding.”

Resident, Martin Sunley said: “Though the residents of St Peters Street have ‘dodged a bullet’ with the developer changing his plans for access to Beck Mill, the residents of Lakeside Way are now in his sights.

“The developer is still looking to build six houses at the top end of the site, but now proposing that all heavy construction and residents’ traffic would go through Lakeside Way.

“Nothing else has changed since the original application - it is still planning to build on a Level 3 Flood Plain which is regularly waterlogged, cutting through a well-used footpath with the safety concerns that brings and building on land designated by the Norton local plan as green space.”

Springfield Garth resident John Gelson said: "We have had to spend a lot of money on additional drainage measures under our garden because of groundwater flooding from this site, which is waterlogged for most of the year. This development is only going to make matters worse.

"The latest proposal to use Lakeside Way instead of St Peter's Street as the only road access simply shifts the dangers of narrow, congested roads from one street to another.

"There are many good reasons why plans to build on this site have been rejected several times. We hope the council will do the same now."

In the report to North Yorkshire Council, the applicant said they had assessed the full range of relevant flood events, including those arising directly from the development itself.

" The assessment is based on the latest model data supplied by the Environment Agency (EA), which includes climate-change allowances and identifies the most significant risk to be overtopping of the river. This dataset covers local pluvial and fluvial

flooding from Mill Beck, and fluvial flooding from the River Derwent, as taken from the EA’s Malton Data Improvement Model.