Comment

Representation ID: 5840

Received: 15/02/2015

Respondent: Thames Water

Agent: Savills UK

Thames Water would welcome the opportunity to work closely with the council and developers to ensure that infrastructure is delivered in time. In some circumstances developer funded capacity studies may be required.

Under the infrastructure issues document on p31 there is no reference to utilities infrastructure or more specifically to water and wastewater infrastructure. It is essential that any wastewater network infrastructure upgrades required to support development are provided ahead of occupation to ensure that there is no increased risk of sewer flooding. Section 6.2 outlines that previous Local Plan consultation responses have
outlined the importance of essential infrastructure being in place before development is completed and that the Council will need to consider ways to ensure this can be delivered.
The Local Plan should make specific reference to water and wastewater infrastructure. In relation to wastewater infrastructure comments regarding the treatment and network infrastructure were provided in the response to the preferred options consultation and are provided again below. Suggestions were also made in the previous response for alterations to Policy DM35 to ensure that development is aligned with any
wastewater infrastructure upgrades necessary to ensure that there is no increased risk of sewer flooding and these suggestions are maintained.

Comment

Representation ID: 5841

Received: 15/02/2015

Respondent: Thames Water

Agent: Savills UK

As set out in the response to the preferred options consultation in 2013 waste water from the area served by Thames Water is treated at Brentwood STW. Thames Water do not anticipate any issues with regard to the capacity at the works to serve the growth as set out in the consultation document.

Comment

Representation ID: 5842

Received: 15/02/2015

Respondent: Thames Water

Agent: Savills UK

The key wastewater network issue will be to ensure that there is sufficient hydraulic capacity of the network to cater for the growth being proposed. Failure to align the delivery of development with the waste water network infrastructure required to support it could result in adverse impacts such as the sewer flooding or pollution of watercourses.
The need for any upgrades should be determined through drainage strategies and detailed discussions with the developer, where the point of connection to the existing network is appraised against the scale of development and its potential phasing.
Through appropriate infrastructure development plan policies drainage strategies and any subsequent necessary infrastructure network upgrades should be provided by either the developer or Thames Water, to ensure sufficient capacity is provided ahead of occupation, thus avoiding risk of sewer flooding. The timescales for providing network upgrades should not be underestimated with local upgrades taking 18 months to 3 years to deliver and strategic upgrades taking 3 to 5 years.

Generally speaking development sites of 20 units + would require further developer investigations to ensure network capacity exists without causing detriment to existing customers. Should there be insufficient capacity developers would need to demonstrate how necessary upgrades would be delivered ahead of occupation.

Where it is shown that sewerage network upgrades are required Thames Water would welcome the support of the local planning authority in attaching appropriately worded Grampian planning conditions to any approval to ensure that upgrades are completed ahead of occupation.