An MP has criticised a developer over its management of a major build where residents face worries about flooding risk and tankers driving through their streets.

Matt Vickers, Conservative MP for Stockton South, says residents are owed an apology following months of difficulties for residents in Kirklevington, Yarm.

These included concerns about flooding risk from a drainage “lake”, wagons rolling through the quiet village and noise from diggers, previously prompting a councillor to say the developer was “running rings around Stockton Council” and call for more planning enforcement, while an ex-parish councillor described it as a “debacle”.

Mr Vickers met with Taylor Wimpey after the Oaklands development of 97 homes saw tankers running through the village to prevent flooding from a SuDS (sustainable urban drainage system) pond. He said neighbouring properties were put at risk of flooding with wet weather without a pumping station and connection in place.

He said he asked them to look at an alternative route into their site which would save all the construction traffic travelling through the narrow village streets. He claimed the idea was “shut down” by Taylor Wimpey. The developer says it could not reach agreement with a third-party landowner over an alternative route and did install a pumping station.

Mr Vickers said Taylor Wimpey were “causing unnecessary misery to residents”. He added: “They owe residents of Kirklevington an apology and should be adopting the alternate access.”

A Taylor Wimpey spokesperson said in response: “We are in regular contact with Matt Vickers MP regarding our development in Kirklevington and recently met with him to discuss his constituents’ concerns. We remain committed to carrying out work on site with as minimal disruption as possible.

“We can reassure residents that we are operating in accordance with both the planning permission for the development and the approved construction environmental management plan (CEMP). The drainage pond has been installed as part of the surface water drainage requirements for the site and in the location as requested and approved by the lead local flood authority as part of the approved sustainable drainage strategy for the site. A pumping station has also been installed.

“We undertook extensive negotiations with a third-party landowner to try to establish an alternative route for construction traffic. Unfortunately, and despite our best efforts, we were unable to reach an agreement and are therefore using the access route agreed in the CEMP.”

In May, when approached by the Local Democracy Reporting Service with residents’ concerns, a spokesperson said they were aware of residents’ concerns, would work closely with the council and to update residents. They said all site clearance works were carried out in line with approved plans and they had worked to alleviate pre-development flood risk.