FEARS about flooding have prompted Salisbury district councillors to call for a second drainage report, before allowing four homes to be built next to Forge Cottage, Chilmark.

Mindful of the devastation wreaked by floodwater in Pitton last winter, the council's western area committee said it wanted to be sure that everything possible be done to prevent the proposed new homes in Chilmark adding to any risk of flooding there.

Developer Willton Homes has submitted plans for four properties, two fronting the Street, one fronting Hops Close and the other behind Forge Cottage.

The company said that, following concerns raised on previous applications for the site, it had included a comprehensive drainage scheme, in accordance with advice from its consultants.

But residents are not satisfied.

They say that, while drainage measures might prevent flooding of the new homes, water from the site could end up in their houses.

Felicity Pattenden, speaking at the committee's meeting last week, recalled how she was photographed by the Journal in 1990 "standing in a foot of water".

"I had to carry my children on my back over the water," she said.

"More than half this site will be covered with houses - where will the water go?"

She said a proposal to reduce the bore of the pipe would reduce the capacity to take water away and she called for another drainage consultant to be consulted.

Parish councillor Patrick Boyles said his council accepted some development on the site but the current plans should not be allowed.

"Residents have a real fear that two to four homes will exacerbate existing problems," he said.

"In winter, when ground water levels rise and the soakaways become full, it will be necessary to use a land-drainage system to control the level of the water on the site.

"This will protect the new houses but will remove the water, to distribute it to the 17th century terraces downstream.

"It's wrong that existing residents should be put at risk and this drainage system should be published to people prior to planning approval."

Councillor Anthony Brown-Hovelt questioned why the plot had not been developed before.

"The reason is local knowledge and common sense," he said.

"Elsewhere in the district, people have spent thousands of pounds on houses and spent their first winter under water.

"We should support the parish council."

Members voted to instruct the officers to appoint an independent consultant to prepare a drainage report.

This is expected to be brought back to the committee early in the new year.