The Cranleigh Society has written to object to the Amlets Lane full planning application and Cala Homes request to remove or alter the pre-commencement condition to improve Cranleigh’s sewerage system.
Please add your own objections here too:
Application by Cala Homes for full planning ref WA/2016/0517 for 125 dwellings on Land South of Amlets Land and North of Roberts Way available on the Waverley Borough Council Planning Portal.
Cranleigh Society Objection:
The Cranleigh Civic Society object to the removal or amendment of Condition 40 requiring the pre-commencement and completion of a strategy for improvement of the existing sewerage system.
Any alteration in this condition would put existing residents at increased risk from sewage flooding, especially adjacent properties in Copse Edge and Summerlands. It would also be contrary to up-to-date advice from Thames Water and Waverley’s Environmental Health Officer.
Waverley are aware of the lack of capacity in Cranleigh’s sewerage system. This is well recorded and mentioned in Waverley’s Sustainability Appraisal Part One Sept 2014:
“Cranleigh Sewage Treatment Works (STW) and existing sewage treatment capacity is unlikely to be able to support anticipated demand. “
There is a requirement for a lead in time for an upgrade to the sewage treatment works of a minimum of three years, this will also need Ofwat funding.
The next funding round for Ofwat won’t be until 2020. If Thames Water has a successful bid then it needs a minimum 3-5 years to carry out the work. That takes us to a completion date between 2023 and 2025. That’s a minimum of 7 years’ time.
There is also the ongoing problem of the ephemeral nature of Cranleigh Waters which again dried up earlier this month – 9 June 2016 (The Environment Agency has been advised). Waverley has a responsibility under the Water Framework Directive (WFD) to ensure they do not allow the status of this river to deteriorate further. The Environment Agency (EA) has confirmed to us that they have commenced proceedings for an Environmental Permit Review (last permit was issued in 2009) for Thames Water to discharge liquid effluent in to this river. As you are aware the current permit does not take into account WFD limits and Thames Water are greatly exceeding the required level for phosphates, diatoms and macrophytes and at present the technology does not exist, although trials are taking place, to try and bring the level of phosphates down to reduce the detrimental effect on the river’s biodiversity. We have had reports of catastrophic loss of fish by the local angling society in Cranleigh Waters.
This is all New Evidence and was NOT available to the Inspector at the recent Berkeley Homes appeal.
As you are also aware the EA are only a regulator with regard to the WFD and can only provide expert advice. It is therefore up to Waverley to make a decision based on that expert advice and advice from other statutory bodies. It is the planning authority’s responsibility to “be confident that this development will not result in unacceptable risks from pollution.
At present we can reasonably be certain that the additional sewage from this site will increase pollution in Cranleigh Waters and this will have a detrimental and undermining effect on the Wey Catchment.
Any sewage strategy for this site must include details for the sewerage upgrades required to accommodate this development, as well as mitigation measures for Cranleigh Waters, furthermore, this site must be considered to be deliverable as required under the NPPF.
You can read more about the Cala Homes, Amlets Lane site here:
THAMES WATER UPHOLD SEWAGE CONDITION
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT THAMES WATER OBJECTION
CALA HOMES APPLY FOR SEWAGE CONDITION REMOVAL
AMLETS LANE FULL PLANNING APPLICATION
PARISH COUNCIL OBJECT TO AMLETS LANE
