RESIDENTS have said they fear a proposed new housing development surrounding their estate would leave their homes at risk of flooding – as surface water, drainage and sewage systems are already overloaded.

Kim Mendham, who has lived in Somerset Close, Catterick Garrison, for about 14 years, has been collecting signatures for a petition against the 40-house Gleeson Homes development.

She said she understood the need for more new homes but did not think the area was suitable.

“The properties on Somerset Close have had problems with surface water since the military buildings in Plumer Road were developed, and some residents in lower parts of the estate have had to use sandbags to protect their homes from flooding,” she said.

Other residents say the six-foot high fencing that has been erected around the greenfield and brownfield land for the proposed development makes them feel imprisoned, and that any new homes will overlook their properties and gardens.

Mrs Mendham said: “Within the plans for the development, surface water has been mentioned on numerous occasions, and it suggest the new properties have a raised floor level of 0.3m above ground level – if this means they will be higher than existing properties in Somerset Close, it will put our homes at even greater risk of flooding."

Another resident, Anthony Dennis, said the fences around the estate made residents feel trapped.

A spokesman from Gleeson Homes said: “We are really looking forward to developing this land for housing.

“Local concerns about drainage are unfounded because we will be installing a lot of drains for the new houses and these will absorb any previous run-off from the land so we will in fact improve the drainage situation.

“There will be very few hard surfaces and we will be even installing gravel drives which are environmentally friendly and reduce run-off. We will be connecting the foul drainage into the existing system and carrying out any improvements that become our responsibility.

“We have erected temporary fencing because we now own the land and we are responsible for everything that happens on it so it is a requirement of our insurance policy that we have to fence it.

“We are sorry if this inconveniences local residents and the sooner we start building the sooner will the fence be removed.

“When we start building we will be looking to recruit some local apprentices - and we would also like to hear from any local junior sports teams because the Gleeson Sports Foundation provides local sponsorship whenever we start a site.”