Plans for 27 homes at Braes of Conon, Conon Bridge, rejected by Highland Council planning officers after flood risk fears raised by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) and the council's flood risk management team
PLANS for more than two dozen homes at a large Conon Bridge housing estate have been thrown out by Highland Council.
Planning officers have rejected proposals for 27 houses at Braes of Conon, which would have marked the final phase of housing planned for the wider 179-property estate.
If it had been approved the final phase would have consisted of six bungalows, 13 detached houses and eight semi-detached properties.
The decision to reject the application, which was taken under delegated powers, was sparked by objections within the council's own flood risk management team, as well as from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa).
Both objected over a lack of key information concerning flood risk fears, arguing that the plans did not make it clear if the properties were safe from one-in-200 year flood events.
They also added that proposals to raise the ground level of those homes closest to a neighbouring burn might act to displace water and increase the flood risk for properties elsewhere on the site.
Rejecting the plans, council officers stressed that the houses were "in all other respects", complimentary to the existing estate, but added that "the flood risk assessment information requested... has not been received and as such [there is] a lack of sufficient information".
