RESIDENTS of Symonds Yat are being flooded out due to water runoff from a nearby development site.

A developer, who already has permission to build in the village has applied to construction a further 10 dwellings on land which is currently an agricultural field off Great Doward Avenue.

However, a resident Grange Park has provided vidence to Herefordshire planners that she has already been flooded in her garage, while a home-owner in Ridge View has also reported concerns with surface water run-off and states that a huge amount of soil was removed from the original site with some of it being reportedly spread over the proposed new development site which had a large dip in the middle, which acted as a pond.

Both objectors state that surface water run-off had not affected their properties previously but now, during heavy rainfall episodes, they experience surface water flooding .

Another Grange Park objector describes that every period of rainfall since the development of Symonds Yat View, has caused surface water run-off along the footpath onto Grange Park, and then down towards Old Monmouth Road.

It is claimed that it wasn’t long before road grids/drains became blocked, exacerbating the problem.

Another objector said that incidents of surface water flooding to properties on Yew Tree Close had not occurred before this development began.

A spokesman for the consultant said: “It is clear from the reports that there is a surface water flooding issue in the area. As such, we visited the site to ascertain the extent of the problem.

“It clear that the developer has excavated two unauthorised ditches. We assume this is to intercept runoff from the adjacent field to before it reaches the new (constructed) development.

“But no thought appears to have been given to the associated consequences of this installation to neighbouring existing dwellings and the highway network.”