West Durrington Development

This statement was delivered by Kathryn Walker to the Development and Control Committee of WBC who were meeting to consider the application for the West Durrington Development. The application was rejected.

"Our concern with the application for West Durrington is that it may post an increased flood risk to already vulnerable areas adjacent to the site such as Durrington and Northbrook, and adjoining areas such as Ferring and Goring.
Residents in Goring have experienced repeated incidences of flooding in recent times, notably on 9 February 2009. Mr Nadeem Shad (Environmental Health) at Worthing Borough Council wrote to Southern Water in January 2009 to express the Council's concern over the adequacy of the public sewerage infrastructure in Marine Crescent and environs as there had already been repeated incidents of flooding in the area.
Southern Water replied to Mr Shad in March 2009 and, referring to the incident on 9 February, acknowledged that this occurence was as a result of 'the hydraulic overloading of the sewerage system due to the heavy rainfall experienced'. Southern water also stated that it was not possible to rectify the current infrastructure problems because of cost considerations. Cost considerations apparently outweigh the need to rectify the system or the concern expressed by the Council.
Residents are rightly asking when will the required improvements be made?
This week it was reported in the Worthing Herald (March 11) that Southern Water had to arrange for a flow of tankers to dump waste into a pumping station behind houses in Juno Close, Goring. This continued for days and severely affected the residents. The company explained that this action was essential to prevent certain homes from being flooded, after heavy rain in recent months had meant that the water table in Worthing was very high.
Another incident reported in the Sentinel this week (March 10) concerned Johnsons, a shop in Warwick Street, where sewage seeped through the floor, again after heavy rain.
Comments by Southern Water on the proposals for West Durrington indicate that currently there is insufficient capacity in the local network to provide foul sewage disposal to service the public sewerage system and that existing properties and land may be subject to a greater risk of flooding as a result. Southern Water suggested measures to ensure that the developer entered into an agreement with the company to provide the necessary infrastructure.
However, in a recent case reported in 'The Times' of December 14 2009, Barratt Homes successfully challenged Welsh Water and won the ruling that no objection could be taken by a sewerage undertaker to connection with a public sewer on the ground of lack of capacity of the sewer.
So where does that leave Southern Water in this case?
As for the disposal of surface water, the Head of Technical Services has commented in the planning report 'the overriding principle of this has been to ensure that the run off from the development does not exceed that of the current 'greenfield' site. To achieve this a sustainable drainage system has been designed. This system is new in both its concept and design and the Council with the Development will be on of the first to adopt such a large scale system in the UK'.
Thirty three balancing ponds are planned in order to manage the surface water drainage.
Southern water point out that 'under current legislation and guidance SUDS rely on facilities which are not adoptable by sewerage undertakers' and go on to say that it is essential that long term maintenance arrangements are put in place by the applicant to service the system in perpetuity. Southern Water ask that the responsibilities of each party to the scheme be specified, including arrangements for adoption by a public authority or statutory undertaker.
Residents need to know who is responsible should the system fail. Where does responsibility lie, with Southern Water, the Developer or the Council?
Would you want to see sewage seeping through the floor or water gushing through your house. Residents will want to know from whom they can claim compensation. If flooding does occur it may result in a claim from a large united group of householders rather than individual claims. Insurance premiums may be increased or insurance companies may refuse to insure or impose an excess.
Residents are concerned that this SUDS system may be 'untested' given its magnitude and that the system requirements may prove to be inadequate with seemingly ever-increasing rainfall.
Sir David King, the Governement's former Chief Scientific Advisor, as recently as 20 November 2009 commenting on BBC News 24, following the Cockermouth disaster, claimed that the 1 in 100 year event when measuring the likelihood of flooding taking place was now obsolete. He maintained that even if we allowed for a 1 in 1000 year event we could not be sure that would be enough to prevent flooding. Sir David has previously advised that it is unwise to build on flood plains.
This is why the Goring Residents' Association is asking the Council to think again about this scheme. According to the Head of Technical Services, the Council and the Development will be one of the first in the UK to adopt such a large scale scheme. Residents need to know that this scheme has been subjected to rigorous scientific assessment.
If the only way to secure a Public Inquiry is to refuse this application then we respectfully ask that the Council does precisely that."