Planning Committee halts 17-house Gilberdyke development

The East Riding of Yorkshire Council Western Area Planning Committee has thrown out a recent proposal for the building of a 17-house estate on the field east of the Claytons Fold development in Gilberdyke.

There is an issue of whether this is a ‘Greenfield’ meadow or a previously used ‘Brownfield’ site…. But it did seem that the applicant was at odds with opinions of long-standing residents of Gilberdyke who contacted me and provided the photographs that contradicted the case put forward for designation of a ‘Brownfield’ site.

The committee agreed with me that the two important issues that should be considered were foul and surface water drainage, and whether the existing village infrastructure could cope with additional housing.

I was absolutely amazed by the consultation comments from Yorkshire Water. Who appeared to be unaware that 56 houses were flooded in Gilberdyke during last June’s flooding with some residents still not back in their houses, or that the sewers flooded again in January this year. I could not believe that Yorkshire Water’s planners did not know about these specific incidents or that their sewers flood on a regular basis, or that the school was closed for a week last June, not because of the building being flooded but because the school toilets could not be flushed as the sewers were full.

I asked the committee to consider the location and the proximity to Hansard Crescent, which was just spared the flooding experienced last year, as this green field was able to absorb the run off from Clayton’s Fold, and more importantly from Hansard. What would be the impact on Hansard Crescent if this field were concreted over with houses built with higher floor levels because of the flood risk?

The quantity of housing development that Gilberdyke has been forced to endure recently was also raised, it was pointed out there have been 111 houses completed in the last 4 years, 30 more started and 18 more still to commence. A total of 151 houses with no investment in village infrastructure or services.

It was also established that when the Parish Council consulted the community some 460 residents from over 350 households responded, saying they did not want to see any further significant housing or industrial development until there was investment in village infrastructure. Only 7 people had the opposing view.

The Committee’s decision was a victory for common sense and showed Gilberdyke residents concerns have been listened to.