Fears flood risk may rise with development

5:18pm Friday 16th May 2008

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FEARS of potential flooding have prompted Bexley councillors to look again at plans for a 60-bed nursing home in a Barnehurst street.

Carebase, a specialist nursing home company has teamed up with developer Priory Developments for the proposal to build the new home in Stephen Road, Barnehurst.

The two companies have already amended the plans to reduce the footprint of the building, cut the number of bedrooms by two and increase the parking spaces.

It hopes to demolish three houses to make way for the new home, which would be housed in two part two/part three storey buildings linked by a glass central section.

The companies are also offering to pay for road improvements in the area, including widening Stephen Road at the junction with Mayplace Road East by removing the grass verge, and raising the zebra crossing in Mayplace Road East, next to the junction.

The application attracted objections from more than 60 residents, Bexleyheath and Crayford MP David Evennett and Bexley Civic Society.

Stephen Road resident George Palmer told Bexley Council's planning control committee: "This project is about money, it is not about providing a service to the community."

Mr Palmer voiced the residents' concerns about the size of the home, traffic, loss of the grass verges and parking problems.

On the residents' behalf, Pauline Reeves said the road had persistent flooding problems and said she feared concreting a large area of land for the home would make the existing problem worse.

Roger Tilley, for the companies, said the home would meet a need in Bexley.

He said the buildings had been designed to fit in with the street and the project had been revised to meet objections.

He said the home would create very little traffic or parking.

Committee members, and ward councillors who objected to the proposals on traffic and parking grounds were warned by Bexley's head of development control, Sue Clark, drainage was probably the only viable objection to the scheme.

Council experts had advised an investigation into the effects of the development on drainage, before work began.

The committee decided to defer their decision for more information about the flooding dangers.