THE drainage system in St John's Road, Bungay, should be upgraded before a sheltered housing scheme at the Three Willows Garden Centre site is developed.

THE drainage system in St John's Road, Bungay, should be upgraded before a sheltered housing scheme at the Three Willows Garden Centre site is developed.

That was the view of the town council Monday as members gave their backing to the scheme for 34 private sheltered homes, communal facilities and landscaping, with a new access to be created on to Southend Road.

The town council is also calling for the number of

car parking spaces, shown in the plan to be 14, to be increased as a condition of any approval Waveney District Council planners may give.

John Palin said there had long been concerns over the drainage system in the area of St John's Road bordering the garden centre.

"We all know of the problems there. One objector to the scheme also felt the car parking on the site was not enough and I agree with that," he said.

"At a presentation on the scheme last year, one member of the team said

it was the same number as for a similar scheme in Norwich, which had proved sufficient. But there is a difference between a rural area site and a city site, and the car would be the last thing I would give up."

Dave O'Neill felt the plan should be refused because

it was over-development

of the site, and for

the drainage reasons.

"This scheme will provide considerable extra stress

on the drainage system,"

he said.

Mayor John Groom said everyone was aware of those problems, but other than that he had no objection with the development.

"If we turn it down we would miss the chance of having the sewage system sorted out. It would be a shame to miss that opportunity," he said.

Arthur Fisher felt to turn it down would be wrong - it would be better to back the scheme subject to the drainage and car parking issues being addressed.

McCarthy and Stone,

which has private sheltered housing schemes throughout the country, has put in the application. It believes it will meet a local housing need and provide a boost to the local economy, as residents of such schemes tended to support and rely on local shops and services.

The firm says it will be

a high quality, attractively designed residential development in a sustainable location, leading to less reliance on private cars.

The plans envisage widening Southend Road and its junction with St John's Road and would greatly improve access for houses there and the industrial unit as well as the scheme itself.

The Three Willows Garden Centre is relocating to a new site at Flixton Road, where work is well advanced, but is continuing trading normally from the present site.