Council approves caravan plan despite flooding worries
RESIDENTS OF a hamlet whose homes have been repeatedly flooded by water and sewage were advised not to pay charges to a utility firm which last year made a £263m profit.
Members of Richmondshire District Council’s planning committee were furious that Yorkshire Water had still not resolved the issues in Dalton Gates, near
Croft on Tees, despite being repeatedly alerted to unsanitary issues over the past year.
However, members approved Ward Leisure’s plans for a holiday park with 38 static caravans on land highlighted by the local flood authority as being known to experience surface water flooding,
Residents said the caravans would only exacerbate the situation, despite plans to soak up water on the site. The committee said it was up to residents to deal with Yorkshire Water.
In March, residents raised health concerns as they reported Dalton Gates had flooded seven times in eight months.
Residents said no significant action had been taken over the past six months.
The committee heard the caravan park scheme would improve the appearance of the very overgrown former horticulture site.
Officers said the council could impose requirements that the site be able to retain water from a one-in-100-year storm, as well as increase capacity to compensate for climate change and further building in the area. Councillors noted that a significant number of jobs would be created, while calling again for Yorkshire Water to resolve the sewage issues.
Committee chairman Coun John Amsden also advised Dalton Gates residents not to pay Yorkshire Water’s rates as a way to force the company to take action.
A Yorkshire Water spokesman later said: “We have investigated and carried out repairs at the site and have seen no further incidents since the work was carried out. Our investigations found additional surface water flooding in the area is linked to a highway drain that leads to a collapsed culvert on a private property nearby. The local authority highways team is investigating further.”