‘Rayner's house-building blitz will leave our village drowning in sewage'
Angela Rayner's house-building blitz will leave a picturesque village 'drowning in sewage', residents have claimed.
Villagers in Goodworth Clatford, near Andover, Hants, fear a new 40-home development will 'overwhelm' its sewage system with 'discharge horrors'.
They say the village, which dates back to Saxon times, and where house prices average £750,000, is already plagued by regular sewage overflows from 'inadequate' drainage infrastructure.
The residents claim the new development was approved by Conservative-led Test Valley borough council in order to meet housing targets set by the Government.
As Housing Secretary, Ms Rayner has announced plans to build 1.5 million new homes over the next five years.
The new Bargate Homes development was approved despite villagers lodging more than 130 objections. Built on a seven-acre field beside the local park, it will have a 'sustainable drainage system', according to the developers.
The village's chalk landscape and poor infrastructure already cause regular flooding, with tankers being brought in to pump out water.
Philip Lashbrook, a Conservative councillor who opposed the development, said: 'I don't have confidence that the infrastructure will be improved enough to support 40 new homes.'
He was joined at the meeting where the plans were approved by scores of villagers.
David Stagg, a retired management consultant, said the village had been 'thrown under a bus'.
'A recurring comment from the planners was that as there was no land matching the Government criteria of grey, brown or green belt sites in the area, 'we have to meet our target by building here',' he said.
'Well, has anyone been courageously assertive enough to tell them that such arbitrary targets are meaningless and have far-reaching consequences in such cases? Now who will be held accountable for destroying our village?'
Katie Cairns, another villager, said sewage was 'a real worry'.
'The current provision [for sewage] is already inadequate,' she said. 'The existing pumping stations are noisy and smelly.
'We've also had tankers working in the village day and night for months this year, taking sewage to plants in Southampton and Newbury as the site [by Goodworth Clatford] is operating at full capacity.'
Michael Goddard said: 'My property, along with those of my immediate neighbours, suffered badly earlier this year (and previous years) from the discharging of sewage water from drains and manholes in our gardens.
'This was due to high groundwater levels infiltrating an ageing, leaky, sewerage network.
'The nearby sewage pumping station was unable to cope so tankers were deployed almost full-time to try to minimise flooding.'
Mr Goddard added: 'If the proposed development on Barrow Hill goes ahead with their sewage going into the existing sewage network, I dread to think what sewage discharge horrors await us folks at the bottom of the hill.
Another objector, Chris Coates, said he was concerned about 'prevailing winds carrying any unpleasant odours right across the centre of the village'.
Dr Christopher Parkinson-Brown, a dentist, added that the additional sewage will be 'far beyond the capacity of the drains and sewers in the village'.
Goodworth Clatford parish council also opposed the plans, claiming in its objection letter that a Southern Water report acknowledged there was 'potential for existing villagers to suffer an adverse impact to their health given the potential for foul water flooding'.
Test Valley council said permission was approved with conditions including 'providing an acceptable nitrate mitigation scheme, a habitat regulations assessment, and a legal agreement to secure affordable housing provision, open space improvements and health facility and education improvements'.
Mark White, the managing director of Bargate Homes, said: 'We are delighted to receive outline planning approval for this site in Goodworth Clatford, a location steeped in character and surrounded by beautiful Hampshire countryside.
'This development will not only help to address the pressing need for affordable housing, but also create a sustainable community with access to local amenities, open green spaces, and strong transport links.
'Our vision is to deliver beautifully crafted homes that benefit both the residents and the environment, contributing to the local area for years to come.'
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