Planning application to build five detached houses on flood prone land in Smithy Bridge

The proposed site for five detached houses to be built on a flood plain in Smithy Bridge.

Five detached houses could be built on a flood plain along Fletcher's Road in Smithy Bridge.

The planning application submitted to Rochdale Borough Council outlines five residential houses, car parking, an access road and gardens on the site, which is currently an agricultural field.

The application has sparked concern as the field is prone to flooding.

A 56-page report by KRS Environmental Limited highlights the flood risks, claiming the primary flooding risk from surface water is on the northern face of the site.

This is classed as low significance, as is secondary flooding from groundwater.

The majority of the site lies within Flood Zone 1 with a low chance of flooding (less than 0.1% in any given year). The remainder lies within Flood Zone 3 with a high probability of flooding (1.0% or greater in any given year).

To avoid this, the houses will be situated on the higher ground on the southern face of the site.

They will be located 250m south of the River Roch and 250m north of the Rochdale Canal.

The report notes that the client, Messrs Cooper, Hughes and Hughes, state the site did not flood during historic instances, such as the 2015 Boxing Day floods, 2006 sewer flooding and a 2008 flooding by the River Roch.

Three previous applications to build on the site have been rejected since 1992, including residential development and a rail yard.