Council houses to be built in Doncaster village despite concerns over flooding

Doncaster Council housing officers have been given the green light in building 21 homes on land off Adwick Lane and Adwick Avenue, Toll Bar.

All properties will be a mix of two and three-bedroomed units with double drives and electric vehicle charging points.

The council received four formal letters of objection from residents. Reasons for objection included traffic and parking issues, concerns over school places and that the development will be ‘out of character’.

Planning officer Andrea Suddes, said the scheme had to be reconfigured because the initial plans meant an access road would be built over a neighbour’s drive. She added no Section 106 contribution would be made because it would make the proposal ‘unviable’.

The plans meant three homes were rotated 90 degrees, one home was lost and the site now has one access instead of two.

The site is within Flood Risk Zone 3 and has a recent history of flooding. Flood risk Is said to be a ‘major constraint’ on the site and both the ‘sequential and exceptions tests must be passed’ before construction can begin.

Officers say there are ‘no other reasonably available sites’ in areas of a ‘lower probability’ of flooding.

The Environment Agency has raised no objection to the redevelopment of the site subject to a condition that finished floor levels are set at no less than five metres above ordnance maps.

Ms Suddes said: “The scheme will deliver much needed 100 per cent affordable housing for the borough which will help meet the social housing need of Toll Bar specifically by providing 21 affordable dwellings; and therefore is considered to be an acceptable and sustainable form of development.

“The properties all meet or exceed the Nationally Designed Space Standards set by Homes England and the council have secured a grant from Homes England towards the development.”

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