Following on from the article below on 4 October confirming that Surrey County Council’s Enforcement Team were investigating whether Thames Water should have applied for planning permission, and carried out a full odour impact assessment, prior to expansion at Cranleigh’s Sewage Treatment Works:
We have now had a reply from Surrey County Council’s Senior Planning Enforcement Officer confirming that members of the enforcement team had been to Cranleigh Sewage Treatment Works and that:
“Works were underway for the construction of two 30 m diameter filter beds, with the disposal of excavated spoil on site. Thames Water maintained that the development was Permitted Development (PD). We believe however that they failed to interpret the Regulations correctly and that screening to determine whether there is a need for an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) should have been done in advance. ”
An EIA is Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is the process by which the anticipated effects on the environment of a proposed development or project are measured. If the likely effects are unacceptable, design measures or other relevant mitigation measures can be taken to reduce or avoid those effects – http://www.epa.ie/monitoringassessment/assessment/eia/
The Officer went on to refute the need for an EIA by saying that based on subsequent information supplied by Thames Water the works were lawful and:
“notwithstanding the scale of activity the development did not require an EIA. ”
Strong and unpleasant sewage odour continues to plague residents living near to the sewage treatment works and in other areas of Cranleigh. The current work being carried out is increasing capacity on the site by approximately 30%. This expansion we were advised was not to accommodate the 1,520 new dwellings being proposed for Cranleigh, of which nearly 800 have now been granted planning permission by Waverley Borough Council.
In the future, residents living near to the sewage works are going to be faced with further expansion work to accommodate new dwellings in and around Cranleigh, and this may lead to a significant increase in sewage odour problems, in addition to increases in pollution levels in Cranleigh Waters from liquid effluent.
We are determined to ensure that the impacts on existing residents are taken into consideration and intend to continue to press Surrey County Council on the need for planning permission.
On 22 October we wrote again to Paul Warner, Senior Planning Enforcement Officer at Surrey County Council, (we are also keeping our MP Anne Milton fully informed of this situation) requesting:
“Dear Mr Warner,
May we ask you one additional question please?
One of the safeguards put in place by the planning process is to ensure that a valid “Permit to Discharge” has been issued by the Environment Agency before any above or below-ground extension capacity works are done at sewage treatment plants. Because CPA [County Planning Authority] is trying to short-cut the planning process, we assume that this important safeguard has not been assessed.
Thames Water themselves acknowledge this. In an email dated 09-Feb-16 to Cranleigh Civic Society, Thames Water said “if Thames Water intend to increase the capacity of the works then the permit will be reviewed and re-modelled.”
Permits to Discharge used to be issued to Cranleigh STW every year or so (Cranleigh Civic Society has got back copies of them), but the last one was issued right back in 2009. The Environment Agency has told Thames Water that they can’t currently renew the 2009 permit because it is “technically infeasible” for Thames Water to meet current chemical requirements (phosphate content for example). Thames Water acknowledges this, and they have written to Anne Milton MP (Anne Milton has been copied in on this email) to explain that there are ongoing trials to see if a new process can be adopted to meet current phosphate limits. The results of these trials are expected later next year, and no one knows yet of course if these trials will prove productive.
The Environment Agency started work on producing a new Permit Limit for Cranleigh STW on 12-May-16, but it will be subject to a successful result to these trials next year, and also to flow-rate infrastructure work being carried out to previously dredged areas of Cranleigh Waters (this work has not been date-programmed yet).
Because Waverley Borough Council has not carried out a full Water Cycle Study for the Borough, we are assuming that they have not pointed these facts out to CPA. And if CPA allows the STW extension works to continue, they are contravening the 2027 WFD “work towards good status” requirement.
So our question is, has CPA taken the above into account in deciding that an EIA is unnecessary?
We are still reviewing your email dated 19th October and taking advice before replying.
Yours sincerely”
If you are concerned about increased odour from Cranleigh Sewage Treatment Works blighting your home please contact your MP Anne Milton anne.milton.mp@parliament.uk and copy in Cranleigh Civic Society info@cranleighsociety.org insisting that Thames Water apply for planning permission for expansion works and carry out a full odour impact assessment.
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