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BMAG RELEASE ON AVANT NEW PLAN OCT 2024

This is the third version submitted by Avant and proposes  60 Homes on the site between The Old Vicarage and Moor Road. Here is  a reminder to residents of some of the key issues from previous submissions

Our existing village drains put the surface water (run off from roofs and drives etc) together with the foul water (waste from loos and washing machines etc) and duct them together to the local water treatment plant in the same pipe. Modern developments have two pipes for this purpose but ours are historic and hence combined. When it rains heavily, or persistently, the pipes cannot cope with the volume from these two sources. In the past manhole covers have lifted to release sewage onto the streets There is considerable concern in the village that the new development, with foul water from 60 homes, will add to these problems.  

Foul water volumes from the development have not been challenged by Yorkshire Water (during previous submissions ) who insist that our sewers are ‘at close to capacity’. However, they are currently unable to define what ‘will make it at capacity or over capacity’. Yorkshire Water say they have had no reports of manholes lifting and sewage being release onto the street. If anyone witnesses this, please photograph it and report it to Yorkshire Water as it may help them to define ‘capacity’. Given that the new development will discharge sewage from 60 houses into the existing system it is very worrying that they cannot define ‘capacity’. 

What is more worrying is that in the latest plan submitted by Avant within the Flood Risk sections, excerpts from Yorkshire Water’s response to the Developer are published and there is no mention of any capacity concerns. We will have to wait for Yorkshire water to submit their response to NYC planning officers to see what they state.  

With respect to surface water, the developer (Avant) has been required by NYC Flood Authority to slow the discharge of surface water from the development by providing (attenuation) tanks which will hold some of that water and release it through a new pipe routed along Hungate before it is released into the beck. Correctly designed these tanks should ensure that surface water from the new development does not exacerbate flooding.This water will eventually leave the attenuation tank and enter the beck, near the bus stop at the top of St John’s Road. 

The third, current, submission is very similar to the previous submission which was evaluated favourably by NYC Flood authority and was acceptable. Avant have now also included additional survey information of the Highways drains, sewers and manholes along Hungate Lane. It shows the dire condition of these existing drains. The blockages shown in the survey might go to explain some of the flooding in Hungate Lane. We are not entirely certain why Avant have actually included these details on this plan. We believe it is to present details of the existing Sewers along Hungate and gain approvals from statutory authorities for building their new surface water sewers 

Another Statutory Authority that has no concerns about capacity is Highways. They believe the development will not cause problems with increased numbers of vehicles on the existing village roads. Highways did want some changes in the road layout in the last proposal to improve road safety. Avant have responded stating nothing is required by modelling undertaken to conclude that the additional trips from the development would be minimum. They have also stated  that since 2009 only 4 collisions happened along the carriageway, all involving single vehicles and hence there is no need for any improvements.

Avant have proposed to offset Moor Road slightly from Hungate Lane at the junction of the two roads and the overall effect of the realignment is to improve safety at the cross roads. This appears to have been done in discussion with the Highways Authority but we await Highways response to this  final submission for their formal feedback. One area that the developer appears to have missed is the footpath required by Highways  along the frontages of the site on both Knaresborough Road and Moor Road. 

The environmental impact of the development was previously flagged up by Yorkshire Wildlife Trust as of concern because the previous application had very dense housing and not enough greenspace around the houses. Furthermore, it was unacceptably close to the nature reserve on the old railway line and likely to have an adverse impact on it. This appears to be one area where Avant have put significant focus by  improving the provision of green space, spacing out the plots and adding front gardens . They have even submitted one document to provide measurements of garden areas and separation between plots. The height of the houses have also been reduced  and only 2 homes are 2.5 storeys, 4 homes are single storey and rest two storey. Overall the density is now reduced to 32 dwelling per hectare on a net basis and 17 dwellings per hectare on a gross basis.   

Please attend the meeting on the 30th October at 7:00 PM at the village hall.  It is over a year since the last proposal was withdrawn and it is easy for planning fatigue to set in. It is an opportunity for residents to understand the details of the plan and raise any concerns directly. It is vital the residents emphasise the need for developments to be sustainable, appropriate and in keeping with our village character to the developers and more importantly also to the statutory authorities through the NYC planning portal. The feedback and comments in the planning portal will help shape the views from the planning department for future developments and for the local plan .

BMAG

(Helen Bagnall, Kenneth Barker, Jonathan Beer, Raj Selvarajan, Paul Wade)