A man who hopes to bring a gipsy site to Overseal is moving forward with his plans to build four homes. John Doherty, who admitted he accidentally flooded six neighbours’ gardens by bringing more than a metre of hard core onto his land without permission, has lodged an application to amend a planning condition imposed on him.

Mr Doherty already has permission to build four homes on the land to the rear of 137 to 149 Woodville Road, Overseal, and is hoping to remove a condition on this application which asks that the area in front of the sightlines, in this case the road and pavement outside the site, is to be maintained clear of any object.

He has applied to South Derbyshire District Council for permission to remove this condition stating that he has no control over the pavement and carriageway to which it relates.

The site is also subject to two appeals lodged by Mr Doherty. He has appealed against an enforcement notice requiring him to move all hardcore he brought onto the land without permission. He claimed the steps required to comply with the notice are “excessive” and the time frame in which to comply is too short.

The second appeal is against the district council’s refusal of his application for the continued use of the land for five gipsy pitches. Both appeals have yet to be decided.