FLOODING damage brought by Storm Ciara highlights the importance environmental concerns should have on planning applications, say campaigners.

In the aftermath of Storm Ciara, two Calderdale communities are urging planners to give more consideration to how new developments might impact on their areas in terms of environmental issues such as the flooding risk building homes might bring.

Flood risks are assessed by council officers who report their findings on each case in reports to planning Councillors, but campaigners believe extreme weather of the sort brought by the storm mean residents’ concerns about flooding should carry much higher weight.

Former Rastrick School building is put up for sale

Residents in Greetland and Rastrick have separately raised the issue of flooding concerns they have where new homes may be sited and sites with approval for homes which Storm Ciara left waterlogged with run-off.

The pieces of land have either got permission to house development or are included as possible sites in Calderdale Council’s draft Local Plan, for which examinations will reopen in the spring.

Campaigners fear sites will no long be able to retain as much water when homes are built.

In Greetland, members of Greetland Pressure Group will highlighting their concerns at 1pm today, with a protest walk near potential sites for 600 homes at Saddleworth Road.

They say during the storm these acted to retain water and believe building on these would risk water running off and risking flooding.

At Rastrick, Rastrick Neighbourhood Forum members have written to the council asking it to ensure any planning approval conditions, which include methodology and site mitigation to prevent local disturbance by possible flooding, are met at development sites before work can start.

Storm Ciara brought localised flooding to Rastrick at Dewsbury Road near the old fire station, properties close by and the old Badger Hill cricket pitch with Delf Hill Road and Rastrick Common all experiencing flooding, all close to a development site, said a forum spokesperson.

Nick Midgley of Rastrick Neighbourhood Forum said in his letter to the council that these were serious situations and wanted assurances that environmental issues would be given as much priority as providing new housing.

Forum members are also likely to make their point over flooding concerns at proposed new development sites in submissions to the draft Local Plan, about which the second phase of hearings is due to start in the spring.