Campaigners in Hurworth Place, Darlington, enlist help of Fiona Hall (From The Northern Echo)

Campaigners in Hurworth Place, Darlington, enlist help of Fiona Hall

3:22pm Monday 22nd March 2010 in

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AN MEP has called for a council to overturn its decision to allow homes to be built on a flood plain.

Residents in Hurworth Place, Darlington, have enlisted the help of Fiona Hall in their campaign against the redevelopment of Croft House.

Mrs Hall, Liberal Democrat MEP for the North-East, joined ward councillor Martin Swainston and residents to visit the land, on Tees View, on Monday.

Developer Yuill Homes has outline planning permission to convert a Victorian house into four flats and building 15 town houses.

The application becomes void in May but a separate application is expected to be heard by Darlington Borough Council's planning committee before then to allow Yuill to start work.

Hurworth Parish Council and residents have objected to the plans and the Environment Agency has said the site poses an unacceptable flood risk.

A survey by the Environment Agency (EA) has increased the level of flood risk on the land since the initial plans were passed.

Following the meeting, Mrs Hall said she would write letters to central government to give Darlington Borough Council more powers as a result of the new EA guidance, to Yuill Homes to ask them to take a more common sense approach and to council planning officers outlining her concerns.

She said: "I will ask the council to revoke the outline planning application because all of the evidence shows that such is the flood risk that the application should have never been granted.

"This is no distance from the river. It is very clear that the land where the town houses are planned to be built is very vulnerable to flooding."

Councillor Swainston said: "The borough council must stand up and be counted and take the legal action and challenge it."

Nigel Bell, land and development director for Yuill Homes, said: "The drainage requirements for this site were set down by the Environment Agency in 2007 when planning permission was granted and the engineering design of the scheme complies precisely with those requirements.

"We have taken all information into account and are satisfied that the appropriate criteria for the development have been met."

Yuill plans to build a "hollow" within the garden. Mr Bell added it would reduce flooding risk.

A council spokeswoman said: "The developer has supplied additional information to the Environment Agency regarding potential flooding issues associated with the site and we are currently awaiting a response."