Representation by Southern Water (Southern Water)
- Date submitted
- 26 March 2021
- Submitted by
- Other statutory consultees
SWS is the statutory sewerage undertaker for the area of the proposed development. SWS has apparatus and interests in the land which is the subject of the proposed application. The applicant will need to obtain copies of SWS’s records to ascertain the full extent of the plant affected, assets/easements in proximity to the proposed works along with their approximate grid references. After assessment of the site Southern Water have determined that the Swanscombe and Northfleet Wastewater Treatment Works are located within the proposed development site. A precautionary buffer zone distance of 500 metres from the perimeter fence of the WWTW has been used for the purposes of this planning consultation response. Due to the potential odour nuisance from a Wastewater Treatment Works, no habitable development should be located within the 1.5 OdU odour contour of the WWTW. An Odour survey will need to be carried out to a specification agreed with Southern Water to identify and agree the 1.5 OdU contour. Southern Water requires existing access arrangements to Wastewater Treatment Works to be maintained with regards to unhindered 24 hour / 7 days a week access. Southern Water operates a closed gate policy during maintenance works for Health and Safety reasons. The proposed development would lie within a Source Protection Zone around one of Southern Water's public water supply sources as defined under the Environment Agency’s Groundwater Protection Policy. Southern Water will rely on your consultations with the Environment Agency to ensure the protection of the public water supply source. Alongside the advice regarding the protection of our assets we have also carried out initial capacity checks for water and wastewater. These have indicated a lack of capacity in our current infrastructure within the catchment. To mitigate this would require strategic investment in our water and wastewater networks and treatment works to accommodate the requirements of this development. As the development has not been adopted in the relevant authorities local plan, no provision has been made in Southern Waters Investment plan for AMP7 which covers the period April 2020 to March 2025. Significant investment would be required and would need to be promoted for delivery in AMP8 (April 2025 to March 2030) and it is likely this could not be delivered until March 2030 at the earliest.