BASINSGTOKE and Deane Borough Council has given permission to a proposal to build two new houses near a pub, despite concerns about sewage disposal and flooding.

The plan is to build two dwellings with associated access, parking, turning, landscaping, and private amenity space at land adjacent to the Bourne Valley Inn in Upper Link, St Mary Bourne.

It was approved with eight votes against three at this month's development control committee (DCC) meeting.

The proposal was previously deferred from a DCC meeting in June this year due to concerns about the sewage disposal and surface water along with consultation with environment agency and Southern Water.

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Since the deferral the applicant has provided a flood risk assessment and the relevant consultations have been carried out.

While debating the proposal, Cllr Graham Falconer said he still has concerns about flooding.

“Reading the update papers, I'm not totally convinced that the sewage and the flooding have been handled sufficiently in detail,” he said.

“It seems to be 'we'll do that and we'll do this'. Conscious of the fact that there are tankers permanently stationed at the Bourne Valley Inn to pump sewage from St Mary Bourne, it is a very serious issue, and frankly I don't get a great bit of comfort from the update paper.”

However, Cllr Ken Rhatigan said it is a small development and hence he would support it.

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He said: “The Bourne Valley Inn has no restriction on number of people using the toilets. Therefore, any strain on the sewage will be affecting them as much as anyone else.

“I think the mitigation and the flood risk assessment have been done. It's a moderate expansion of a small hamlet. It sits between two areas of development. The fact that the officers have gone through it twice, a small increase in the housing in any hamlet is welcome, because it is organic.”

The development proposal was submitted by Fowler Architecture & Planning Ltd on behalf of F Lee.

To view the proposal, search with reference number 21/02050/FUL on the council's planning portal.