By Carmelo Garcia – Local Democracy Reporter
Villagers who endure “faeces mixed with floodwater being forced up drains and manholes” applauded civic chiefs as they rejected a bid to change the conditions of a controversial housing development.
L&Q Estates Limited wanted permission to vary a condition for the planning permission granted for 85 homes on land at Chestnut Tree Farm on land off the A38 in Twigworth.
Tewkesbury Borough Council’s planning committee considered the proposal at their meeting today (February 18).
George Sharpley spoke on behalf of Twigworth and Down Hatherley residents and called on councillors to keep the condition unchanged.
He said the condition imposed by a planning inspector requires the new houses not be connected to the sewage system until they are upgraded.
“The developer’s plans for drainage will no doubt pass muster,” he said. “But that is entirely missing the point.
“It’s the additional pressure off site where the problem lies in both Twigworth and Down Hatherley where the drainage is closely linked.
“Whenever we have heavy or persistent rain, floodwater enters the crumbling network of pipes and pumps and both villages suffer frequently.”
He said the condition was put there because the inspector saw “widespread evidence of faces mixed with floodwater forced up drains and manhole covers by surface water”.
“Severn Trent’s response, if we’re lucky, is to send in tankers to scoop up the poo and take it away with a lot of smell, danger, noise and congestion.
“And that’s days after the problem has exploded all over the street, into people’s gardens and houses and back up into their bathrooms.”
“Take this from a young woman in Twigworth, just a few weeks ago. ‘My home has been contaminated with sewage more than once. My baby’s possessions were covered in human waste.
“‘I was made to feel it was a freak accident and maybe even my own fault’.
“The inspector’s condition provides critical leverage for the much needed improvement.
“You know that Severn Trent has a statutory obligation to accommodate new houses. We also know that this council has no statutory power to enforce Seven Trent to do anything at all.
“So the inspector’s ruling is a line in the sand for us all. Many, many people have pinned their hopes to it.
“Please do not turn your back on a community that urgently needs this to remain in place to protect their health and well-being.”
But Graham Whitehouse, speaking for the applicant, told the committee work had since taken place.
And he said Severn Trent nor the council’s officers had objected to the proposals.
“Our application simply seeks to amend the wording of condition 12 permission which states that no dwelling is to connect to the public sewer for foul sewage only until upgrades have been carried out of the public sewage system,” he said.
“The revised condition wording we are seeking would effectively align with standard drainage conditions you applied to planning permissions, including recent approvals. Your officers and Seven Trent support this request.
“Since June 2023, Severn Trent have confirmed they have no objective principle to the developments on the site at the airline application stage.
“In most recent discussions with Severn Trent and Tewkesbury Borough Council planning department, Severn Trent have confirmed that works have been carried out in the area.
“These works involve lining to reduce groundwater infiltration and increased capacity.
“Therefore, upgrades have been carried out and the conditions should be amended as suggested.”
But during the debate Mel Gore (C, Isbourne) proposed that the application be refused. She said she did not feel a standard condition was appropriate at that site.
“I’ve been on the council for quite some time now and we’ve been hearing issues in this area around foul water and sewage,” she said.
“There is no other area in the borough I’ve heard about this.
“We have to consider the effect it is going to have on people further downstream. It’s impacting families’ lives.”
This was seconded by Cllr Sarah Hands (LD, Innsworth) who said that the problems probably go as far as Churchdown.
She said the planning inquiry for the development actually took place while people in Longford and Twigworth were flooded.
“We were standing in flood water while this inquiry was going ahead,” she said.
“With good conscience, I could never allow this. We are not taking away that these houses are going to be built. It was won on appeal.”
She said the council was just making sure others in the wider area are not impacted by the new homes and the “crumbling” sewage system.
The committee voted unanimously to reject the change.