Why residents in Harborough are worried about a 'mini-lake' building up on a new 450-house estate

A woman has said she’s hugely relieved as a housebuilder acts to drain water from a massive balancing pond just yards from her home.

Lesley Paris said she feared the “mini-lake” could have flooded her house and garden in Market Harborough after one of the wettest winters on record.

But Davidsons Homes said it’s now “pumping out water to reduce the level of the pond” on its new 450-house Lubenham View estate.

Lesley, of Spinney Close, off Lubenham Hill, said: “This is a huge relief.

“The pond’s been getting bigger and deeper all winter after all the torrential rain we’ve had.

“It’s been turned into a mini-lake and I can’t help but study it closely every day to see how much it’s grown by.”

A science education lecturer at Leicester University, she added: “This enormous bowl of water on a steep, sloping muddy hillside is within about 30 feet of my back garden.

“I know it’s there for a purpose.

“But we’ve had flooding problems on huge new estates being built all over Harborough so I’ve been very worried to say the least.”

Lesley, who has three children and two grandchildren, said she’s lived at the four-bed detached house for 37 years with her husband Peter.

“We were the first family to move in here.

“We’ve been here almost four decades and have never seen anything like this,” she said.

“So I’m pleased to hear that the builder is taking action to sort this out.

“I do fear that because of dramatic climate change this exceptional winter we’re having will soon become the norm.

“So housebuilders and councils will have to take that into account when they are setting up drainage for major new developments like this one.”

A spokeswoman for Ibstock-based Davidsons Homes said: “As part of the approved drainage strategy for the Lubenham View development, we have constructed a balancing pond on site.

“This balancing pond is designed to store water during periods of heavy rainfall in order to reduce the risk of flooding on the site and in the surrounding area and is working as designed.

“To enable the controlled discharge of water from the pond, it will be connected to the approved outfall by a concrete pipe.

“This connection is due to be in place in the week commencing March 16.”

She added: “In the meantime, as a temporary measure, we have a pump on site to discharge water from the pond if required.

“During recent heavy rainfall the water level of the pond has risen, as it is designed to do during such events.

“Our contractors are currently in the process of pumping out water to reduce the level of the pond.

“This will be discharged across an area of the watercourse bank through vegetation which will prevent run-off.”

She said Davidsons Homes is building 450 homes at Lubenham View - including 135 properties in phase one.

“A showhome is due to open in June and the first residents are expected to move into their homes in July,” said the spokeswoman.