NEW luxury homes could be built on stilts on a Saddleworth flood plain.

Last month, flooding devastated many parts of the UK, with the Met Office declaring February the wettest month since records began.

It comes as Storm Ciara, Storm Dennis and Storm Jorge have all lashed the country within the space of a few weeks.

But one housing development which sits in a valley between the picturesque villages of Uppermill and Dobcross is aiming to protect its prospective residents from further washouts.

The nifty architectural solution is to lift the homes up off the ground by building on concrete stilts.

Energon Cube Ltd has applied to Oldham council to build five huge modern homes on a one-acre site along the bank of the River Tame, off Ladcastle Road.

The houses are planned to be constructed across two flood zones, with four properties having five bedrooms, and one with four bedrooms.

Inspired by the River and Rowing Museum designed by David Chipperfield, which sits on the River Thames, the homes would be built on concrete stilts which would raise the floor level of the building.

“The development proposals present an opportunity to redevelop an underused site within the settlement boundary of Dobcross,” the planning statement says.

“The proposals include a number of benefits, principally among these is the benefit of increasing the supply of housing.

“A flood risk assessment has been produced which demonstrates that the scheme will be free from flooding for the lifetime of the development and will not increase the risk of flooding elsewhere.”

Green eco-technology would also be part of the houses, which have been designed by Ollier Smurthwaite Architects.

They would be clad in "super" insulation, with energy coming from solar panels and a ground source heat pump would extra heat from the earth for radiators, underfloor heating and hot water.

Rainwater would be collected from the roof to be re-used within the home and gardens.

“The aim is to create a sense of a larger shared green space with a wild meadow aesthetic which will also support the local ecology and help with mitigating flood risks minimising hard landscaping,” supporting documents add.

“Raised decks will connect the properties raised ground floor and allow any floodwater to pass over the site.”

The existing dwelling on the site would be demolished under the proposals.

Each property would have three parking spaces, with the four-bedroom house also boasting a garage with spaces for a further two cars.

One objection has been lodged with Oldham council over the plans.

However, bosses have not yet decided whether to grant or deny planning approval.