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Brize Norton Action Group has written
to WODC Councillors on the subject
One of the
conclusions of the October 2012 Sustainability Appraisal for
the Carterton East Site (CE) states that “the
infrastructure costs per unit do not appear to be
unreasonable or unrealistic”. This is not true.
There are likely to be exceptional costs associated
with this development.
These
exceptional costs are necessary to meet the Foul Drainage
requirements for the CE. The current system serving Brize
Norton village and Shilton Park is demonstrably at
saturation point.
A report dated
January 2013, prepared by Cole Easdon Consultants on behalf
of Bloor Homes (the developer of the proposed CE), states
“Thames Water (TWU) had previously advised in 2011 that the
development site foul discharge should be disposed to the
Witney Wastewater Treatment Works. Further advice has been
sought in January 2013 from TWU regarding whether sufficient
capacity is currently available within the Carterton pumping
station, 8km rising main to Witney and Witney Wastewater
Treatment Works to discharge and treat proposed foul
discharge from the 700 dwelling development. A response is
awaited.”
The lack of
response from TWU and the known problems associated with
sewage arising from Shilton Park and the Brize Norton Sewage
Pumping Station indicate that there is a very real
possibility the CE will require the construction of a new
8km pumping main to Witney and the further upgrading of the
Witney Waste Water Treatment Works. Not only will this
be an “exceptional cost” for the development but it will
also incur considerable operational costs into the future.
The process by
which this site has been selected is therefore fundamentally
flawed.
So help stop
this development now, and preserve the character of Brize
Norton Village.
Selwyn Shorrock
On behalf of
Brize Norton Action Group
A fuller critique of the plan given
below
WODC Draft Local Plan – Foul
Drainage Proposals for East Carterton
In the WODC Report “West Oxfordshire
District Council Draft Local Plan, Assessment of Strategic
Site Options” dated October 2012 one of the Sustainability
Appraisal questions under the section Deliverability
and Viability is:
“What are the likely on and offsite infrastructure
requirements associated with development in this location?
Are there likely to be any exceptional costs?”
The WODC response to this question for
the East Carterton Site concludes:
“In
summary, development in this location would necessitate the
provision of a range of on and off-site infrastructure.
Importantly, the nature of the site means that there are no
exceptional costs and the information provided by the
developer suggests that even with a smaller scheme of 700
dwellings, the infrastructure costs per unit do not appear
to be unreasonable or unrealistic.”
Since the end of the consultation
process in December 2013 Bloor Homes, the developer of the
proposed East Site, has submitted a number of reports to
WODC to further promote the site in the light of the many
submissions made during the late 2012 consultation process.
In particular they have submitted an updated Drainage Report
prepared by Cole Easdon Consultants, dated January 2013.
In paragraph 3.17 of this report Cole
Easdon states:
“TWU had previously advised in 2011 that the development
site foul discharge should be disposed to the Witney
Wastewater Treatment Works. Further advice has been sought
in January 2013 from TWU regarding whether sufficient
capacity is currently available within the Carterton pumping
station, 8km rising main to Witney and Witney Wastewater
Treatment Works to discharge and treat proposed foul
discharge from the 700 dwelling development. A response is
awaited.”
The lack of response from TWU and the
known problems associated with sewage arising from Shilton
Park and the Brize Norton Sewage Pumping Station indicate
that there is a very real possibility the East Carterton
Development will require the construction of a new 8km
pumping main to Witney and the further upgrading of the
Witney Waste Water Treatment Works. Not only will this be
an “exceptional cost” for the development it will also incur
considerable operational costs into the future.
This means the conclusion reached in
the October 2012 Sustainability Appraisal for the East
Carterton Site that “the
infrastructure costs per unit do not appear to be
unreasonable or unrealistic” is wrong. There are
likely to be exceptional costs associated with this
development and the process by which this site has been
selected is therefore fundamentally flawed.
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