Last updated 20:59, Thursday, 30 October 2008

A BRIDGEFOOT woman has made an official complaint against Allerdale council over its decision to approve plans for a holiday development at the nearby Melbreak Hotel.

Jennifer Wright, of Beck Cottage, has lodged the complaint with the Local Government Ombudsman because, she said, planning officer Ric Outhwaite declined to add a condition to the approval that all surface water should be rerouted to the River Marron or River Derwent, at an Allerdale council development panel meeting earlier this month.

Bridgefoot residents are concerned that plans for 60 log cabins and an extra 42 bedrooms at the hotel, at Crossbarrow, will mean more hard surfaces and nowhere for rain to go, except into Lostrigg Beck, which joins the River Marron, and will increase the risk of flooding in Bridgefoot.

Although the development must have a holding pond to reduce the impact of rainfall, Bridgefoot residents fear this will not be enough.

Mrs Wright said: “The proposed pond is not feasible as it still has to release an amount of overfill water into the Lostrigg Beck at Bridgefoot.

“Had one drop been released last weekend, then Bridgefoot would have flooded, without a doubt. Had it not released any water, then the A595 would have flooded.”

It is understood that Mr Outhwaite told the meeting that a proviso for excess water to be re-routed could not be added at that stage of the planning process.

An Allerdale council spokesman said that the council would not comment on the complaint until the ombudsman had completed its investigation.