Plan for new homes on cul-de-sac near Rugby deferred over parking concerns

Parking problems and flooding fears have led to councillors deferring a decision on plans for two new homes in Clifton-on-Dunsmore
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Kevin Brown explained to this week’s Rugby Borough Council Planning Committee that he wanted to build two semi-detached houses on the strip of land opposite 1-3 Avon Street after vandals had targeted buildings on the site where he had stored materials and equipment. Items had been stolen and there had been cases of fly-tipping on the land he had bought in 2004.

His scheme would include two parking spaces at the front of each of the two-bedroomed properties which would be built to resemble the existing houses in the street.

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But neighbour Christine Goddard spoke against the plans saying that the cul-de-sac already had problems with parking and explained how her home of 44 years, which is opposite the site, had suffered with flood water going into her porch. She added that the extra homes could add to the problem.

Those worries were echoed by Cllr Leigh Hunt (Con Clifton, Newton and Churchover) who told the planning meeting that there was no street drainage in place along the road which was unadopted.

She said: “This is not a matter that can be glossed over because there are numerous examples where building on agricultural land has led to flooding and increased run-off. In Avon Street there is only one place for the water to go - straight into the houses opposite.”

Cllr Hunt added that cars in the nearby Vicarage Hill often obscured the view, hindering access to the road.

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“This is the wrong development in the wrong place,” she said. “With cars forced to park outside of the existing houses, it would be impossible to safely drive in to or out of the proposed dwellings.”

When asked if there would be enough space for cars to manoeuvre, the council’s development and enforcement manager Nick Freer said amendments had already been made following worries raised during the consultation period.

But he said that without hard copies of the plans in front of him it would be difficult to guarantee that cars would be able to reverse on to the drive if people were parked on the other side of the road and suggested that a decision be deferred until those plans could be examined.

He added: “Rather than a three-point turn it might have to be a five or a six-point turn. You can’t always provide first-class conditions but they have made enough strides to try and address that issue.”

Councillors agreed that the matter was deferred to the next meeting.