Controversial Deepcar housing plan can go ahead after Sheffield Council decision was delayed over flooding fears

One member of Sheffield City Council’s planning committee quizzed council staff extensively about potential flooding risks on the site of Wood Royd Farm on Wood Royd Road. Outline planning permission was given for demolition of some buildings and the erection up to 41 houses on the land.

A condition of the outline permission, which means a detailed planning application also needs to be approved, is that no development can commence until the planning authority approves of a plan to identify and protect Clough Dike Culvert. No buildings are allowed with 35 metres of the culvert.

A survey must be taken to correctly identify its path, to ensure that an adequate buffer zone can be maintained between the culvert and the development.

The conditions say: “This is to ensure no damage is caused to the culvert during construction and that there is no increase in load, both horizontally and vertically, upon the culvert. This will ensure adequate access is maintained should the culvert require repair or replacement.

“Reason: To reduce the risk of flooding to the proposed development and its future users.”

The developer will also have to agree a plan for ensuring the safe flow of water from the site into the public sewers. There must also be archaeological, biodiversity and old mining site investigations.

Plan objectors

The application was deferred from the November meeting of the committee for further investigations after six members of the public and ward councillor Coun Lewis Chinchen spoke against it. More than 80 people have objected to the plan.

Coun Barbara Masters told Tuesday’s meeting she believes there are springs on the site, plus mining disturbance, and damage to the culvert. People who live nearby worry that any building work could cause flooding.

Flood authority officer Ben Hardy explained that his investigations have uncovered no evidence of springs on the land. Mr Hardy said that the culvert is not on the applicant’s land.

He said the type of ground is not suitable for water infiltration because of underlying clay levels. He also explained that there are three ‘detention basins’ proposed which could hold the amount of storm water that would only normally fall once every 100 years.

Mr Hardy told Coun Brian Holmshaw that the site appears steep and free draining, with no ability to hold water on it, suggesting any water flowing across it comes from elsewhere. He added that ground-penetrating radar used in archaeological investigations of the land also showed no significant voids underground.

Mr Hardy also explained that historic mapping shows the dike originally ran through an adjacent brickworks, outside the land boundary, and had been gradually covered over.

Planning officer Dinah Hope said there would be no building work near the culvert, which would be separated from the houses by a landscape buffer.

Coun Masters said she hoped that the developer had taken on board the issues expressed by residents who live near to the site.

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