Council set to approve Hunmanby housing plan despite concerns about impact on water, drainage, and public services

An application for up to nine self-build houses in Hunmanby, submitted by Howard Midgely, is being recommended for approval by the planning authority.

If approved by Scarborough Council’s Planning Committee at an upcoming meeting on Thursday, February 9, several self-build houses could be constructed at 14 Sands Lane, Hunmanby, Filey.

Each plot will be sold to a different purchaser who will design and construct their own home.

A report prepared for the meeting states that except for the means of access, all other matters including appearance, layout, scale and landscaping are ‘reserved’ for later consideration.

The proposed site is “elongated in shape” and extends back approximately 165m from the southern side of Sands Lane.

It is near another proposed development for 46 dwellings on land to the south side of Sands Lane, Hunmanby which is currently pending consideration and received numerous objections from local residents last year due to concerns about drainage.

For the self-build houses, no objections were received from Yorkshire Water, the Highway Authority, the Flood Authority, or the council’s countryside service subject to conditions.

However, more than a dozen members of the public have objected to the plans and Hunmanby Parish Council has also raised several concerns.

The parish council said: “There are concerns that the existing sewage system is working at capacity and will not be adequate.

“We can see that Yorkshire Water has highlighted conditions to protect the local aquatic environment and their infrastructure, also requirements for the wastewater.”

One of the public objectors, Jim Crow, said: “These properties will be built separately, in all probability at different times, causing an ongoing problem, possibly for a very long period with contractors, delivery vehicles, noise, parking, mud, on an already busy road.”

Another consultee, Pamela Steel, said: “I object to this development because of the drain problems I have incurred during the past 25 years [as they] are undersized.

She added that the village “cannot take any more people until the infrastructure is upgraded, e.g. doctor’s surgery and school.”

If approved, the developer would be required to make financial contributions of £6,000 to outdoor sports, £10,000 to children’s play as well as a yet undefined contribution towards the NHS.

A council report states: “As this planning application is the first of its type in this area and having received a number of objections and a high attendance at our planning meeting, we recommend that it is referred to a full planning meeting for consideration.”

The plan is recommended for approval and will be discussed by the planning committee at Scarborough Town Hall on March 9.