Flood zone development next to Fosse Road, Farndon, refused by Newark and Sherwood District Council

Plans to build a bungalow on an unused strip of land have been sunk over flood risk concerns.

Newark and Sherwood District Council's planning committee rejected the application for a bungalow on land next to Fosse Road in Farndon.

The site is in a residential area and has houses on either side ­— but is in flood zones one and two, according the the Environment Agency.

The application is for a single-story, four-bedroom home at the north of the site with a long access road from Fosse Road up.

While the dwelling would sit just outside of the flood zone, access to it would be impeded if there was flooding on other parts of the site.

The application had been before the committee on two separate occasions but was deferred both times because of planning practice changes around flooding.

The principle of development was considered acceptable with a need for more housing in the district, but because the land sits in a flood zone it was recommended for refusal.

Keith Walker, who represents Farndon, said: "We are never going to get big developments in Farndon. What I can't get around is that to the left and to the right there are bungalows and houses, why have those been built and these can't.

"I'm nearly 83 and that land has never had any water on it whatsoever. To me, it doesn't make sense."

Committee chairman Roger Blaney replied: "Those houses were almost certainly built at a time when flood risk wasn't as strong as it is today."

Laurence Goff said: "I live on the Farndon Road, which is also a flood plain and I've never been flooded.

"We live in a world where we have access to the internet and can be alerted of danger, so I don't see a problem in supporting this application."

Committee vice-chairman Linda Dales said: "I have a slightly different view. I have a lot of empathy for what is being said but I think the one thing that people expect of planning and certainly this committee is consistency.

"We have recently seen other applications not far from this site denied permanent permission because of flooding on access roads.

"In this day and age we need to be seen to be taking this application seriously and I don't think we can be seen to be treating one application differently to others.

"Without being able to find any acceptable circumstances to outweigh the risk, I do support the recommendation."

Mr Blaney said: "I struggle with this one. I look at that amount of land surrounded by residential properties and question what value it has other than for housing.

"It's not efficient use of land with a single dwelling but we are saying not even a single dwelling is acceptable because of the risk of flood.

"I understand the environment agency view that we shouldn't be building in a flood zone when we have adequate provision elsewhere.

"If we were offered that for development anywhere else we'd put eight or ten dwelling on there, however I am in agreement with the vice-chairman about showing consistency.

"I will not support the application before us but I do believe there is a solution."

The application was refused by the planning committee six votes to five.