Flooding concerns over 93-home plan for land off Common Lane

'Crackley Triangle' - the site where Bloor Homes wish to build 93 homes. Copyright: Google Earth

Concerns over flooding, affordable homes and electric vehicles have been raised by Kenilworth Town Council over plans to build 93 homes on land off Common Lane.

While outline planning permission for the houses on land known as Crackley Triangle was just about granted in January this year by one vote, this latest 'reserved matters' plan covers the finer details of the development.

37 out of the 93 homes built by developers Bloor Homes will be 'affordable', or below market value, and the site will be accessed by a narrow bridge, which lies between two existing bridges on Common Lane.

But Kenilworth Town Council have raised several concerns with the plan, including how safe the houses would be from flooding.

In its response to the plans, the council wrote: "Members expressed concern over the absence of any clear plan for a sustainable drainage system, particularly in view of concerns over Canley Brook. A pond assumed to comprise part of such a system has disappeared from the plan.

"In particular, members felt that any flooding assessment must relate to all allocated and proposed development along Canley Brook from Burton Green, Coventry and the University."

Warwickshire County Council's flood risk management department also objected to the plans because not enough detail was given in how the site would actually stop flooding from happening.

Cllr Richard Dickson (Lib Dem, St John's) also spoke of major issues with affordable homes and how the site would cater for electric vehicles.

Currently, the plans do not show any charging points for such vehicles, despite it being a requirement for all major new builds.

And the affordable homes are all set to be in a corner furthest away from the entrance to the site. The council expected the homes to be distributed equally around the site.

Cllr Dickson added: "One of the other concerns was the affordable housing being on the edge of the development, close to where HS2 would be running.

"Emergency access is also a problem. There's just that one road down Common Lane which reaches the site."

Finally, the town council felt the positioning of some of the three-storey buildings in the plan right on the edge of the green belt would harm the appearance of the area as motorists drove towards Kenilworth down Coventry Road.

It is not yet known when Warwick District Council will make a decision on the plans.