Plans to build 30 affordable homes on land owned by Staffordshire County Council in Stafford have been approved – despite a bid coming forward to register the site as an asset of community value.

A care home is also proposed for the undeveloped site, which is surrounded by existing houses in Highfields and borders King Edward VI High School.

The land is used by dog walkers, members of Stafford Borough Council's planning committee were told.

The authority has until 7 September to determine the application to class the site as an asset of community value.

The only current public access to the 2.94 hectare (7.27 acre) site is through a path from the back of the Rowley Park car park.

A new vehicle entry and exit point will be required, and four flats at the eastern end of Swinburne Close are set to be demolished to create the route.

A report to Stafford Borough Council's planning committee said properties in Swinburne Close are owned and managed by the applicant, social housing provider Homes Plus. On Wednesday (5 August), committee members granted full permission for 30 new affordable homes and the new access on the northern part of the site, as well as outline consent for a care home and construction of retaining walls on the southern side.

Ward cllr Dough Rouxel called the application in for consideration by the planning committee because of concerns about "significant risk of flooding and of passing over the flood risk to adjacent properties."

He added: "This area is below the current level of Swinburne Close and is comparatively low lying; it was not wanted for development or by the adjacent school because it is basically marsh land as it is.

"The flood risk assessment supplied does not take into account that the houses on Rowley Hall Drive are even lower than the properties here will be, and do not have main drain services, and all have soakaways.

"It describes that 'in the event of exceedance or failure of the drainage network, overland flows would be directed around the proposed properties and conveyed either onto the proposed highway, towards the existing embankment to the western side of the site or onto Rowley Hall Drive to the east as per the existing situation' – except the existing situation has the open ground which is being developed in this proposal to attenuate this, and surface water is already a concern in Rowley Hall Drive."

Committee member Cllr Scott Spencer raised concerns about drainage measures and asked for further clarity.

He also called for additional planting to replace trees that are set to be lost.

The lead local flood authority raised no objections to the application however.

Their response stated: "We have reviewed the Flood Risk Assessment and Drainage Strategy which has been updated following receipt of a new masterplan/ housing layout for Site A (the affordable homes).

"We are satisfied that an acceptable drainage strategy has been proposed.

"As such, we have no objection to the application at this stage subject to pre commencement conditions being attached to any planning permission, to ensure that the full detailed drainage design – including management and maintenance plan – is submitted for review for each phase of the development."

More than 50 people objected to the application, with reasons included flooding and drainage concerns and loss of green space and trees.

There was also one supporting letter and one "neutral" submission.

Max Parry, who spoke against the application at Wednesday's meeting, urged the committee to visit the site before making their decision.

He also highlighted the current use of the field as social space, including dog walking.

He said: "There is currently a flooding problem and has been for many years from Rowley Park into the properties south of Rowley Park.

"The field has a long-standing clear use and is not being replaced or improved."

Architect Steve Faizey, who spoke in support of the application, said: "The works to Swinburne Close have followed discussions with Staffordshire County Highways and include provision of 33 car parking spaces to provide safe access and improve parking for existing residents.

"There is one tree proposed to be felled to provide access and three others which have been assessed as being of poor quality, but the loss of these is mitigated by 23 new trees across the development.

"The application was submitted some four years ago and includes work with successive planning officers in providing additional information and revision of the design in response to issues raised.

"The latest of these changes was to replace six of the proposed houses with four bungalows, thus reducing the number of dwellings from 32 down to 30."